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Quick Read: Competition Law Updates in Turkey – January 2025
The Turkish Competition Authority (“TCA”) remained active in January 2025, with key decisions spanning sectors from payment services to hygiene products. Notably, the TCA demonstrated a strict approach to enforcing compliance with its orders, particularly regarding the suspension requirement and on-site inspections. This newsletter provides an overview of significant developments in Turkish competition law during the month. Dive into January case updates 1. TCA issues two new gun-jumping decisions 1. 1. Param fined for jumping the gun on Kartek acquisition The TCA has slapped a fine on Yılmaz Family, the controlling shareholders of Param, for concluding the acquisition of Kartek Holding
Quick Read: Data Protection Law Updates in Turkey – December 2024
In this edition of Quick Read, we summarise the latest updates in data protection law and sector news in Türkiye. In the past month, the Turkish Data Protection Authority (“DPA”): released Guidelines on Cross-border Data Flows; issued a memorandum regarding temporal application of the new amendment to the DP Law; published its 2024 Activity Report; announced updated administrative fines for 2025; disclosed two data breaches. New guidelines on cross-border data transfers now available On 2 January 2025, the DPA released updated guidelines on cross-border data transfers (“Guidelines”), providing critical clarity for organisations handling international data
Summary of Guidelines on the Transfer of Personal Data Abroad from Türkiye
The Turkish Data Protection Authority has recently published its long-awaited guidelines ("Guidelines") on the conditions for cross-border transfers of personal data. The Guidelines aim to clarify the legal framework for cross-border transfers of personal data, incorporate criteria from European Union regulations and regulators and provide concrete examples. It is crucial for data controllers and processors of personal data with cross-border transfer characteristics to plan their processes in accordance with this Guidelines. Click on one of the images below or use the following links to read our summary in English or in Turkish. Download in English: Download in Turkish
Key insights from the Turkish Competition Authority Report
The Turkish Competition Authority’s (“TCA”) 2024 Mergers & Acquisitions Overview Report is published and it highlights a record-breaking year. The TCA reviewed 311 deals in 2024, the highest of the past twelve years (2013-2024). Click on the image below or use the following link to read our summary of the Report’s key takeaways in English. If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact the authors, Sinan Diniz and Simru Tayfun.
Quick Read: Competition Law Updates in Turkey – December 2024
The Turkish Competition Authority (“TCA”) ended December with a significant overhaul of its Fines Regulation, the first such update in nearly 15 years. TCA Overhauls Fines Policy to Combat Anti-Competitive Practices in the Digital Age Recognising the evolving nature of markets, characterised by innovative business models and shifting consumer preferences, the TCA acknowledges the emergence of new forms of anti-competitive behaviour and the involvement of a wider range of entities. This necessitates a corresponding adaptation of enforcement tools and penalty policies to effectively address these contemporary challenges. The TCA emphasises the growing market power of large technology companies, driven by their
Türkiye establishes Cybersecurity Presidency: Paving the way for a secure digital future
In a landmark move, Türkiye has established the Cybersecurity Presidency (in Turkish: Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı) under a newly published Presidential Decree on 8 January 2025. This development marks a pivotal moment to enhance the digital security infrastructure of Türkiye and reflects a growing recognition of the critical importance of cybersecurity in today’s interconnected world. Below, we provide an overview of the key aspects of this new institution. What is the Cybersecurity Presidency? The Cybersecurity Presidency is a newly established public legal entity affiliated with the Presidency of Türkiye. With its headquarters in Ankara, the institution will have a special budget and a wide-ranging
Turkish Competition Authority overhauls fining regulation
The Regulation on Fines to Apply in Cases of Agreements, Concerted Practices, and Decisions Limiting Competition and Abuses of Dominance (“New Regulation”) was published in the Official Gazette on 27 December 2024 and came into force the same day. The New Regulation repeals the previous Regulation on Fines to Apply in Cases of Agreements, Concerted Practices and Decisions Limiting Competition (“Old Regulation”) that had been in force for 15 years and introduces substantial changes to the fining regime in Turkish competition law. In our article, we summarise the important changes brought by the New Regulation.. Changes brought about by the new regulation Basic fine rate One of the most important
Rekabeti Sınırlayıcı Anlaşma, Uyumlu Eylem ve Kararlar ile Hakim Durumun Kötüye Kullanılması Halinde Verilecek İdari Para Cezalarına İlişkin Yönetmelik Yenilendi
Ocak 2025 – Rekabeti Sınırlayıcı Anlaşma, Uyumlu Eylem ve Kararlar ile Hakim Durumun Kötüye Kullanılması Halinde Verilecek İdari Para Cezalarına İlişkin Yönetmelik (“Yeni Yönetmelik”) 27 Aralık 2024 tarihli Resmî Gazete’de yayımlanarak yürürlüğe girdi. Yeni Yönetmelik yoluyla aynı konudaki 15 yıldır yürürlükte olan Rekabeti Sınırlayıcı Anlaşma, Uyumlu Eylem ve Kararlar ile Hakim Durumun Kötüye Kullanılması Halinde Verilecek Para Cezalarına İlişkin Yönetmelik (“Eski Yönetmelik”) yürürlükten kaldırıldı ve Türk rekabet hukuku para cezası rejimine kapsamlı değişiklikler getirildi. Bu yazımızda, Yeni Yönetmelik’in getirdiği önemli yenilikleri sizler için özetlemeye
Quick Read: Data Protection Law Updates in Turkey – November 2024
In this edition of Quick Read, we summarise the latest updates on data protection law and sector news in Turkey. In this issue: fines imposed on two social media giants; Turkish Data Protection Authority (“DPA”) releases an informative note regarding ChatGPT; president of the DPA attends the 46th Conference of the Global Privacy Assembly; one data breach is announced. Twitch faces fine of TRY 2 million over massive data breach On 16 November 2024, the DPA imposed an administrative fine of TRY 2 million (approximately EUR 55,000) on the social media platform Twitch due to a significant data breach. This fine consists of: TRY 1.75 million Tfor failing
Quick Read: Competition Law Updates in Turkey – November 2024
In November 2024, the Turkish Competition Authority (“TCA”) took decisive steps across various industries, from cleaning products to e-commerce. Below we provide an overview of the TCA’s latest decisions, settlements, and investigations impacting competition in Turkey. Dive into November updates 1. Settlement in the pharmaceutical industry The TCA concluded its investigation into Menarini İlaç and Genveon İlaç with settlement agreements for both companies. These settlements come about as a part of the TCA’s ongoing investigation into (i) gentlemen's agreements with competitors regarding no-poaching of each other's employees, and (ii) anticompetitive information exchanges in the pharmaceutical
KST Law and Kinstellar assisted Felix and Balderton in their investment in Agave Games
KST Law (Kinstellar) is excited to have assisted Felix and Balderton in their investment in Agave Games, the creators of Find My Cat, securing a significant EUR 18 million Series A funding round. This investment highlights the growing potential of the gaming sector and underscores Agave Games' innovative approach to mobile gaming. We worked in close collaboration with Mariott Harrison, led by partner David Strong and trainee solicitor Zeki Turgut. It has been a pleasure working alongside Felix and Balderton on this important milestone. A special thanks to the KST Law team—our partner Emre Özer and associates Sıla Şaylı and Hatice Nur Arslan—for their invaluable contribution in making this transaction a
Turkish Competition Authority adopts the much-anticipated Guidelines on Competition Infringements in Labour Markets
The Turkish Competition Authority (“TCA”) announced on 3 December 2024 that the much-anticipated Guidelines on Competition Infringements in Labour Markets (“Guidelines”) were been adopted by the Competition Board at its meeting on 21 November 2024. The TCA had previously prepared the draft version of the Guidelines (“Draft Guidelines”) and submitted it for public comments via its announcement of 16 September 2024. The TCA has now finalised the Guidelines, also taking into account the comments received on the Draft Guidelines. In its announcement regarding the Draft Guidelines, the TCA stated that it aimed to set out the main principles on the following: the place