Operating cash flow generation is strong at $33.2B in 2026Q2, but capital expenditure consumes 91.7% of this, resulting in minimal free cash flow of $2.7B and highlighting the strain from a heavy investment cycle.
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (TKC) cash flow statement — 27-year operating, investing & financing cash flows
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 85.56B | 121.62B | 75.01B | 60.24B | 61.04B | 2.37B | 21B | 9.03B | 5.83B | 3.1B | 607.14M | 1.9B | 1.87B | 2.11B | 2.13B | 1.75B | 2B | 1.94B | 2.57B | 2.52B | 2.62B | 1.54B | 805.93M | 1.39B | 812.5M | 385.27M | 463.91M | 517.75M |
| Operating CF Growth % | 9181.02% | 62.13% | 24.53% | -1.32% | 2473.83% | -88.71% | 132.65% | 54.83% | 87.98% | 410.8% | -68.07% | 1.92% | -11.61% | -0.87% | 21.96% | -12.53% | 2.97% | -24.69% | 2% | -3.55% | 69.47% | 91.5% | -42% | 71.03% | 110.89% | -16.95% | -10.4% | - |
| Operating CF / Revenue % | 42.06% | 1993.02% | 45.01% | 56.24% | 45.23% | 2.18% | 30.21% | 35.91% | 27.38% | 17.59% | 4.25% | 14.89% | 14.54% | 16.63% | 20.26% | 16.5% | 21.43% | 22.37% | 24.02% | 34.07% | 39.46% | 26.78% | 18.87% | 46.92% | 30.85% | 16.16% | 15.62% | 24.54% |
| Net Income | 15.51B | 19.31B | 23.51B | 18.09B | 9.93B | 563.62M | 4.51B | 3.28B | 2.18B | 2.04B | 1.59B | 1.9B | 1.56B | 2.61B | 2.06B | 1.37B | 1.75B | 1.65B | 2.7B | 1.54B | 1.17B | 1.23B | 683.02M | 287.14M | 63.22M | -249.27M | 304.14M | 492.53M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 58.12B | 67.56B | 47.43B | 48.32B | 50.81B | 812.44M | 18.75B | 5.03B | 4.29B | 2.6B | 2.2B | 1.67B | 1.74B | 1.76B | 1.41B | 1.74B | 1.08B | 884M | 1.04B | 933.73M | 1.04B | 631.48M | 566.03M | 562.45M | 549.32M | 525.52M | 399.86M | 188.19M |
| Deferred Taxes | 4.87B | 0 | 5.19B | -6.33B | -3.84B | -131.26M | 919.74M | 785.63M | 495.48M | 571.76M | 423.16M | 667.11M | 778.4M | 659.67M | 522.27M | -30.18M | -121.17M | -4.44M | -5.06M | 0 | 0 | 456.75M | 257.65M | -719.37M | 0 | -32.82M | 41.35M | -9.71M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 16.31B | 40.68B | 1.17B | 3.65B | 7.91B | 1.34B | -5.5B | 125.15M | 1.04B | 296.87M | -137.95M | -506.94M | -997.77M | -739.94M | -629.91M | -624.11M | -375.34M | -791.18M | -2.02B | 135.89M | 221.87M | -274.62M | -1.35B | 1.15B | 397.29M | 27.8M | 97.37M | 109.76M |
| Working Capital Changes | -8.24B | -5.93B | -3.68B | -3.5B | -3.77B | -217.86M | 2.32B | -186.94M | -1.73B | -2.35B | -3.23B | -1.32B | -1.01B | -756.92M | -907.94M | -425.32M | -857.41M | -270.52M | 265.69M | -90.44M | 178.55M | -500.16M | 644.35M | 105.51M | -197.34M | 114.05M | -378.8M | -263.03M |
| Capital Expenditures | -128.22B | -98.17B | -48.86B | -42.6B | -40.83B | -1.16B | -16.77B | -6.02B | -5.43B | -4.11B | -3.64B | -4.6B | -2.39B | -1.8B | -1.73B | -2.66B | -1.63B | -2.65B | -1.22B | -903.04M | -852.77M | -866.79M | -723.67M | -265.38M | -189.43M | -296.23M | -1.1B | -1.06B |
| CapEx / Revenue % | 63.04% | 1608.79% | 29.31% | 19.16% | 18.32% | 1.07% | 13.73% | 12.71% | 25.5% | 23.31% | 25.46% | 36% | 18.67% | 14.17% | 16.48% | 25.14% | 17.47% | 30.53% | 11.43% | 12.2% | 12.87% | 15.04% | 16.94% | 8.96% | 7.19% | 12.42% | 37.07% | 50.3% |
| CapEx / D&A | 2.21x | 1.45x | 1.03x | 0.42x | 0.49x | 1.43x | 0.51x | 0.64x | 1.27x | 1.58x | 1.65x | 2.76x | 1.38x | 1.02x | 1.23x | 1.53x | 1.51x | 2.99x | 1.17x | 0.97x | 0.82x | 1.37x | 1.28x | 0.47x | 0.34x | 0.56x | 2.75x | 5.64x |
| CapEx Coverage (OCF/CapEx) | 0.67x | 1.24x | 1.54x | 2.93x | 2.47x | 2.04x | 2.20x | 2.83x | 1.07x | 0.75x | 0.17x | 0.41x | 0.78x | 1.17x | 1.23x | 0.66x | 1.23x | 0.73x | 2.10x | 2.79x | 3.07x | 1.78x | 1.11x | 5.24x | 4.29x | 1.30x | 0.42x | 0.49x |
| Cash from Investing | -128.22B | -98.17B | -48.86B | -30.18B | -45.79B | -1.16B | -14.54B | -3.03B | -4.54B | -3.3B | -2.98B | -3.83B | -1.33B | -997.18M | 545.69M | -2.66B | -1.1B | -2.22B | -1.07B | -515.42M | -891.88M | -1.01B | -723.67M | -265.38M | -189.43M | -213.4M | -1.31B | -1.31B |
| Acquisitions | 492.02M | 0 | 30.84M | -784.49M | -1.46B | 11.59M | -187.15M | 2.18B | 99.03M | 58.74M | 40.64M | -267.92M | -29.02M | -1.58M | 372.75M | 1.09M | -193.49M | 14.07M | -476.35M | 8.96M | -230.46M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Purchase of Investments | -110.78B | 0 | -66.89B | -38.08B | -14.04B | -170.28M | -2.34B | -369.59M | -39.88M | -11.99M | 0 | 2.46B | -34.9K | -20.9M | -49.52M | -1.62B | -26.09M | -125.64M | -73.07M | -139.23K | -89.01M | -16.4M | -74.19M | -2.66M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sale of Investments | 86.35B | 0 | 54.01B | 42.38B | 3.12B | 77.67M | 2.3B | 84.66M | 2.58M | 0 | 0 | 20.42M | 51.7M | 1.03M | 1.61B | 21.1M | 109.77M | 47.91M | 120.7M | 52.98M | 41.89M | 61.3M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Investing | -9.43B | -20.28B | -5.31B | -13.17B | -8.67B | -6.25M | -4.77B | -1.73B | 833.08M | 817.39M | 660.48M | 1.01B | 1.04B | 822.49M | 716.39M | 556.94M | 639.04M | 486.64M | 584.88M | 325.82M | 238.46M | -184.48M | -236.82M | -126.07M | -76.85M | 82.83M | -209.31M | -252.55M |
| Cash from Financing | -5.7B | -1.66B | -9.78B | 9.77B | 4.89B | -441.64M | -9.95B | -3.48B | -534.38M | -1.57B | 4.84B | -4.62B | 91.88M | -258.18M | -306.75M | 59.53M | -472.63M | -8.13M | -543.36M | -298.34M | -558.18M | -494.77M | 159.47M | -872.54M | -421.62M | -332.35M | 998.91M | 1B |
| Dividends Paid | -5B | -9.75B | -7.31B | -3.59B | -3.45B | -287.46M | -1.86B | -1.01B | -1.9B | -2.99B | -51.42M | -4.03B | -8.78M | -1.04M | -15.2M | -7.52M | -919.12M | -1.11B | -855.94M | -535.41M | -482.49M | -245.97M | -104.19M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividend Payout Ratio % | - | 2191.93% | 31.1% | 28.58% | 34.76% | 4.03% | 41.41% | 31.11% | 94.01% | 151.11% | - | 189.83% | 0.52% | 0.04% | 0.73% | 0.53% | 50.47% | 70.66% | 26.94% | 37.82% | 39.87% | 19.95% | 18.21% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Debt Issuance (Net) | 0 | 1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K |
| Stock Issued | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 237.58M | 329.79M | 4.25M |
| Share Repurchases | -216.38M | -279.52M | -328M | -50.76M | 0 | 0 | -25.03M | -10M | -94.62M | 0 | -65.61M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -11.34B | -9.14B | -412.3M | -22.52M | 0 | -219.97M | 3.07B | 908.92M | 274.17M | -60.22M | -60.42M | -100.52M | -75K | 75K | 1.96M | -1.56M | 14.14M | 28.26M | 247.36M | 224.69M | -83.7M | 29.81M | 73.87M | 32.24M | 18.24M | 25.26M | 14.8M | -51.43M |
| Net Change in Cash | -45.99B | 8.07B | -9.06B | 16B | -11.05B | -192.98M | 284.02M | 2.82B | 2.71B | -1.34B | 3.13B | -6.11B | 201.07M | -249.99M | 2.54B | -1.49B | 320.66M | -247.2M | 249.33M | 2.03B | 1.11B | 42.22M | 241.73M | 251.7M | 201.45M | -160.47M | 152.98M | 206.59M |
| Exchange Rate Effect | 2.37B | -13.72B | -25.43B | -23.83B | -31.21B | -962.31M | 3.78B | 298.2M | 1.95B | 430.11M | 664.1M | 436M | -422.91M | -1.11B | 174.08M | -633.04M | -105.24M | 45.44M | -712.14M | 323.89M | -51.25M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash at Beginning | 100.79B | 83.71B | 77.71B | 61.71B | 72.77B | 1.6B | 26.23B | 7.42B | 4.71B | 6.05B | 2.92B | 9.03B | 8.86B | 8.34B | 4.49B | 6.22B | 4.81B | 4.87B | 4.75B | 1.59B | 1.14B | 1.03B | 777.58M | 525.88M | 324.43M | 484.91M | 331.93M | 125.33M |
| Cash at End | 89.57B | 91.78B | 68.65B | 77.71B | 61.71B | 1.4B | 26.51B | 10.24B | 7.42B | 4.71B | 6.05B | 2.92B | 9.06B | 8.09B | 7.03B | 4.73B | 5.13B | 4.62B | 5B | 3.62B | 2.25B | 1.07B | 1.02B | 777.58M | 525.88M | 324.43M | 484.91M | 331.93M |
| Free Cash Flow | -42.67B | 23.45B | 26.16B | 17.64B | 20.22B | 1.21B | 4.23B | 3.01B | 399.48M | -1.01B | -3.03B | -2.7B | -528.95M | 312.24M | 396.54M | -913.82M | 369.3M | -707.49M | 1.35B | 1.62B | 1.76B | 676.57M | 82.26M | 1.12B | 623.07M | 89.05M | -636.62M | -543.38M |
| FCF Growth % | -10431.46% | -10.36% | 48.28% | -12.75% | 1569.47% | -71.35% | 40.41% | 653.58% | 139.6% | 66.71% | -12.4% | -409.63% | -269.41% | -21.26% | 143.39% | -347.44% | 152.2% | -152.46% | -16.73% | -8.12% | 160.55% | 722.5% | -92.68% | 80.43% | 599.72% | 113.99% | -17.16% | - |
| FCF Margin % | -20.98% | 384.23% | 15.69% | 16.47% | 14.98% | 1.12% | 6.08% | 11.98% | 1.88% | -5.72% | -21.21% | -21.11% | -4.12% | 2.46% | 3.77% | -8.64% | 3.97% | -8.16% | 12.59% | 21.87% | 26.6% | 11.74% | 1.93% | 37.96% | 23.65% | 3.73% | -21.44% | -25.76% |
| FCF / Net Income % | -275% | 5270.43% | 111.2% | 140.51% | 203.51% | 16.97% | 93.87% | 92.73% | 19.77% | -50.97% | -203.07% | -130.37% | -33.9% | 11.97% | 19.1% | -64.47% | 20.28% | -43.21% | 50% | 102.53% | 142.79% | 55.01% | 12.04% | 391.53% | -247.18% | -35.72% | -209.32% | -110.32% |
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying TKC stock.
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (TKC) generated $121.62B in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (TKC) generated $23.45B in free cash flow in 2025. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (TKC) spent $98.17B on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2025, Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (TKC) returned $9.75B to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $279.5M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.
Key Metrics
Top Statement Risk
Hyperinflation accounting obscures cash generation
OCF Volatility Masks Recurring Revenue Base
Operating cash flow exhibits extreme quarterly volatility, ranging from $438M to $78.4B, which suggests significant non-cash adjustments or timing differences in collections and payments that obscure the underlying quality of the recurring subscription revenue stream.
The erratic OCF pattern, particularly the massive $78.4B in 2025Q3 followed by a sharp decline, indicates that reported cash flow is heavily influenced by hyperinflationary accounting adjustments and likely large swings in working capital related to regulatory receivables or deferred costs. This volatility makes it difficult to assess the true cash-generating power of the core telecom operations, warranting a focus on normalized, multi-quarter trends rather than any single period.
Sustained High CAPEX Intensity Strains Cash Generation
Capital expenditure consistently consumes a vast majority of operating cash flow, with the CapEx/OCF ratio exceeding 100% in two of the last ten quarters, indicating that the company's investment cycle is frequently outpacing its internal cash generation capacity.
The persistent high CAPEX, which reached $55.1B in 2026Q1, underscores a heavy investment phase likely driven by network modernization and 5G rollout. However, the fact that CAPEX often exceeds OCF means the company is reliant on external financing to fund its growth engine, a dynamic that increases balance sheet risk in a volatile currency and interest rate environment.
External Financing Required to Bridge CAPEX Gap
The persistent negative free cash flow, which totaled -$42.5B in 2026Q1, necessitates continuous access to capital markets, yet the data shows minimal net debt issuance, suggesting reliance on existing facilities or other financing mechanisms to fund the investment deficit.
The chronic FCF deficit is a structural feature of the company's capital-intensive model, but the limited visible long-term debt issuance in recent quarters raises questions about the sustainability of this funding approach. Investors should monitor the company's debt maturity profile and access to international capital markets, as any tightening in financing conditions could directly constrain its ability to execute its network investment plan.
Dividend Payments Appear Discretionary and Lumpy
Dividend payments are irregular and not consistently covered by operating cash flow, with a $5.0B payout in 2025Q4 occurring in a quarter where OCF was $39.0B, but no dividends paid in several other quarters despite positive OCF.
The sporadic nature of dividend payments suggests they are not a fixed commitment but rather a discretionary allocation of cash, likely influenced by the company's financing needs and regulatory constraints. The lack of a consistent payout policy means dividend safety is contingent on management's capital allocation priorities in any given period, rather than being a predictable function of earnings or cash flow.
Hyperinflation Accounting Severely Distorts Cash vs. Earnings
The extreme disconnect between net income and operating cash flow, such as the $14.3B net income in 2024Q3 versus $749M OCF, highlights how IAS 29 hyperinflationary adjustments create significant non-cash distortions that make GAAP earnings an unreliable proxy for cash generation.
The reported financials are fundamentally altered by the restatement process, where monetary gains/losses and revaluation adjustments flow through the income statement but do not represent operational cash flows. This means the core cash earnings power of the business is buried beneath accounting artifacts, requiring analysts to reconstruct a cash-based view of performance to assess true economic profitability.
Cash Flow Statement Hides Structural Financing Risks
The cash flow statement does not fully disclose the currency composition or maturity profile of the company's debt, which is a critical hidden risk given Turkey's volatile macroeconomic environment and the company's need for continuous external financing.
While the data shows minimal new debt issuance, it does not reveal the extent of foreign currency-denominated liabilities or upcoming maturities that could require refinancing at unfavorable rates. Furthermore, the potential for regulatory delays in cost recovery or the imposition of new spectrum fees represents contingent cash outflows that are not visible in historical cash flow statements but could materially impact future liquidity.