This issue of Quick Read provides an overview of the Turkish Competition Authority’s (“TCA”) decisions and announcements and other developments in Turkish competition law during August 2024. Dive into August updates 1. Settlement on no-poaching in the pharmaceutical labour market The TCA concluded its investigation into pharmaceutical companies Bilim İlaç and Drogsan İlaç regarding allegations of anti-competitive no-poaching agreements with their competitors to avoid hiring each other's employees in the labour market with a settlement. As part of the settlement, Bilim İlaç was fined TRY 155,488,332.29 (approximately USD 4.58 million), while Drogsan Pharmaceuticals was fined TRY 30,593,234.79 (approximately
This issue of Quick Read provides an overview of the Turkish Competition Authority’s (“TCA”) decisions, announcements, and developments in competition law for July 2024. Dive into July updates 1. Double impact: Investigations in the glass recycling market The TCA has intensified its scrutiny of glass manufacturer Şişecam and its subsidiary, Şişecam Çevre Sistemler, for potentially hindering competitors in the glass recycling sector. After a preliminary investigation in 2021, Şişecam offered commitments to the TCA. In 2024, a follow-up inspection led the TCA to launch a full-fledged investigation into compliance with these commitments. In addition, the TCA initiated a separate, full-fledged
Agenda of the Turkish Competition Authority in June This issue of Quick Read summarises the decisions, announcements and important competition law events published by the Turkish Competition Authority (“TCA”) in June 2024. Dive into June updates Under the lens: TCA scrutinises Apple's App Store payment policies In early June, the TCA launched an investigation into technology major Apple, focusing on whether their App Store practices violate Turkish Competition Law. Key concerns include Apple's policies that prohibit developers from using alternative payment methods in the App Store and enforcement of anti-steering measures aimed at mobile application developers. These actions are under scrutiny to determine if
On 10 June 2024, the Turkish Competition Authority (the “Authority”) announced its latest decision on Google. With this decision, the Authority has imposed a total administrative fine on Google of TRY 482 million (approximately USD 14.9 million). Background In 2021, the Authority fined Google TRY 296 million (approximately USD 9.2 million) due to the company’s violation of Turkish Competition Law in the “local search services” market. The violations included: giving its own local search (Local Unit) and accommodation price comparison (Google Hotel Ads-GHA) services an advantage over its competitors in terms of position and display on the general search results page; preventing competitor
The Turkish Competition Authority (the “Authority”) has announced an investigation into technology major Apple. The focus is on whether Apple's behaviour of not allowing the use of alternative payment systems in the App Store and its anti-steering policies for mobile application developers constitute an abuse of dominant position. As part of a broader Mobile Ecosystems Sector Review (the “Sector Review”), the Authority is examining the structure and functioning of the market for mobile smart devices and software. This Sector Review includes an analysis of Apple’s agreements with application developers and the Application Review Directive. Consequently, the Authority suspects that Apple may be placing certain
Agenda of the Turkish Competition Authority in May In this article, we summarise the decisions, announcements and important competition law events published by the Turkish Competition Authority (“Authority”) in May 2024. Dive into May updates Double fine from the Authority to META In early May, the Authority announced two decisions on META, the parent company of applications such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. First Decision 6 May 2024: The Authority finalised an interim measure against META to prevent data aggregation between Instagram and Threads, after META announced Threads’ shutdown in Turkey. META was fined TRY 335,730,707.20 (approximately USD 10.4 million), concluding the 70-day