Sait Eryılmaz heads the finance practice of our Istanbul office. He is specialised in banking and finance transactions, with a particular focus on project finance, syndicated lending, restructurings and structured finance.
Sait has held a key position at the forefront of Turkish infrastructure and energy transactions in the last decade, taking part in many notable projects including PPPs and other large-scale cross-border transactions. He regularly represents banks, ECAs, Islamic and conventional financial institutions, sovereigns, corporates and private equity firms in a wide array of international project finance transactions, including in PPPs, infrastructure, transportation (roads, ports, railways and airports) energy, oil and gas, utilities and privatisations in Turkey and the wider EMEA region.
Sait has extensive banking and finance experience with a particular focus on syndicated lending, project finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, restructuring, Islamic finance, securitisations and structured finance. Sait also frequently acts for issuers and underwriters in both debt and equity offerings including Eurobond, sukuk, covered bond, green bond and regulatory bank capital offerings in and outside Turkey.
Sait has also worked in the Firm's London office, and he is consecutively ranked as a leading lawyer in Turkey by Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR 1000.
- the lenders on the ICIEC-covered financing of approximately USD 900 million provided to Mersin Otoyolu Yatırım ve İşletme A.Ş. for the Çeşmeli-Kızkalesi section of the Çeşmeli-Erdemli-Silifke-Taşucu Motorway Project, developed under the Build-Operate Transfer (BOT) model
- the lenders on the CESCE-covered financing of a propane storage terminal in Ceyhan, Türkiye, sponsored by Rönesans Holding and Stolthaven Terminal
- tthe consortium of MAPA, Limak and CRRC on the US$ 5.6 billion Dubai Metro Blue Line Project
- the lenders on the financing for Çimsa's acquisition of Mannok
- on the ECA covered financing of the Zatriq Wind Power Plant Project in Kosovo
- Avesoro on strategic portfolio acquisition and alliance in Morocco
- The Joint Bookrunners on Halkbank's successful offering of USD 700 million Reg S AT1 Notes
- Beko on a €125 million SACE-covered facility provided under the Push Strategy Program
- Çimko on its debut US$300 million Eurobond offering
- TAV Airports and Fraport on the EUR 2.5 billion long-term refinancing of Antalya Airport
- TAV Airports on the €342 million long-term financing for the Ankara Esenboğa Airport
- the joint venture of airport operators TAV Havalimanları Holding A.Ş. (TAV Airports) and Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide (Fraport AG) on a EUR 1.225 billion bridge financing regarding the renewal of operational rights for Antalya Airport in Turkey
- Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered Bank and other lenders in the UK's largest sustainable civil infrastructure export financing, provided to the Republic of Turkey in connection with the Ankara-İzmir High-Speed Electric Railway Project
- Citibank, Dubai Islamic Bank, HSBC and Kuwait Finance House as joint lead managers in connection with the Rule 144A/Reg S offering by the Republic of Turkey of US$3 billion Sukuk (lease certificates) due 2027 at 7.25 per cent
- the mandated lead arrangers in relation to the $1.2 billion term loan refinancing for We Soda Limited, the largest natural soda ash producer in the world
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, Istanbul
- +902123390060
- Email me
- Speaks Turkish and English
- Practice area Financial regulation, Restructuring & insolvency, Global Financial Markets, PFI PPP, Capital markets
- Sector Banks, Transport & logistics, Oil & gas, Energy & resources, Real estate, Transportation infrastructure
Career & qualifications
- Istanbul Bilgi University, Faculty of Law 2009
- Admitted as a lawyer in Turkey (Istanbul Bar Association) 2011
- Joined Clifford Chance Istanbul 2011
- Clifford Chance LLP, UK 2017
- Partner since May 2022
Awards and citations
- “He is an exceptional negotiator with a deep understanding of the legal landscape and commercial market.”
Chambers & Partners Europe - “Sait Eryılmaz is dedicated to clients and solutions. He provides detailed advice on potential commercial and practical implications.”
Chambers & Partners Europe - “Sait Eryılmaz is a great partner, who is super-reliable and provides high-quality advice and good client service. He is a trusted adviser rather than only a lawyer. He is highly commercially sensible and not difficult. He simply gets it.”
Legal 500 EMEA - “Sait is an experienced lawyer with in-depth industry knowledge. He is very good at providing creative solutions based on clients’ needs.”
IFLR1000 Europe