Istanbul's municipal gas distribution company IGDAS and sea transport company IDO will be privatized after local elections in March next year, Ihlas news agency, or IHA, reported Monday, citing Mayor Kadir Topbas in Turkish daily Sabah.
Topbas said he has given order to start the sale process two days after the March 29 elections.
The sale of Turkey's natural gas distribution grids is part of a wider International Monetary Fund-backed privatization program.
Global Yatirim Holding and natural gas engineering firm Energaz submitted the highest bid of $1.61 billion in a tender for the sale of the natural gas distribution network of Ankara in March. ABN Amro Infrastructure Capital Management has also joined the consortium.