UPDATE 1-Turkey says plans no more grid sales in 08

(Adds details, background)

ISTANBUL, May 22 (Reuters) - Turkey has no plans to privatise any more power grids this year beyond four networks whose sale has already been announced, Privatisation Administration Chairman Metin Kilci said on Thursday.

Two pairs of grids have already been put on sale, with a June 6 deadline set for bids for the first pair and July 15 for the second.

The privatisation, part of a broad sell-off programme, is expected to bring in much needed foreign direct investment as several major foreign companies are interested in buying into the fast-growing European Union candidate's energy sector.

"We have no plan for another distribution privatisation this year apart from the four regions which are in the tender phase at the moment," Kilci told reporters.

Turkey plans to privatise a total of 20 grids and Kilci said that the Istanbul grid could be sold next, with the Asian and Bosphorus regions of the city packaged together.

The Asian side of Istanbul's grid had been due to be one of the first networks to be sold, but was later dropped and the regional grids now up for sale are for the capital Ankara, Sakarya in the northwest, the central Anatolian region of Meram, and Aras in the east.

The sell-off was meant to start in 2007 but was postponed until after a parliamentary election. Before the sale was put off, companies that prequalified included Germany's Energie Baden-Wurttemberg (EBKG.DE) and E.ON EONG.DE, and Spain'sh Iberdrola (IBE.MC) in a joint venture with Turkish Calik Holding.

Turkish firms that have prequalified include Enka Insaat (ENKAI.IS), Dogan Holding (DOHOL.IS) and Akenerji (AKENR.IS). (Reporting by Tolgahan Ozkan; editing by Rory Channing)