Teachers’ Private Capital, the private investment arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board announced today that they have jointly led the establishment of Actera Partners, the largest private equity fund to date exclusively focused on investment opportunities in the Republic of Turkey.

As cornerstone investors, the two institutions have committed 75 million euros ($115 million) each to Actera Partners.

Actera Partners represents a unique opportunity for Teachers’ and the CPP Investment Board to partner with a high quality private equity team in order to capitalize on the opportunities created by Turkey’s emerging economic potential and its continued drive to modernize its financial and regulatory structures.

Actera Partners’ investment strategy focuses primarily on buyout and growth equity investments across a broad range of industries in Turkey. In addition, Actera Partners will seek to partner with Turkish companies in order to assist in their expansion efforts outside of Turkey. The fund expects to have raised 250 million euros by mid-2007.

Actera Partners is led by Isak Antika and Murat Cavusoglu who have both built up successful track records in principal investing and investment banking in Turkey and the surrounding region.

Jim Leech, senior vp of Teachers’ Private Capital, said: “Turkey is an attractive private equity market, with a large and growing population, a high number of quality mid-market businesses, and a developing economy which is expected to benefit from becoming increasingly harmonized with Europe.”

Mark Wiseman, senior vp – private investments, CPP Investment Board, commented: “We are also pleased that Actera Partners is being led by two strong investment professionals with broad experience in both Turkey and the international business community. The leadership shown by two leading Canadian institutional investors in emerging private equity is important recognition of the benefits that can be achieved by taking a truly global approach to our investment mandates.”

(1 euro = approx. $1.53)