One of the winners of 2024 Competition Advocacy Contest, which is organized by the International Competition Network (ICN) and the World Bank every year, is Turkish Competition Authority!

Aiming to emphasize the important role of competition agencies, sector regulators and non-governmental organizations in promoting competition and to share their success stories about competition advocacy, the contest covers different themes every year.

The Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) participated in the contest under one of this year’s themes “Embedding competition in industrial policies through advocacy” with its work on its interventions in the competition problems that the earthquakes in February 2023 might create in markets, and was granted an award.

As known, after the devastating earthquake in February 2023, the TCA communicated with local stakeholders and tried to better understand the competition problems that might delay recovery process in the region. The TCA established direct communication channels with and provided guidance to regional development agencies and the chambers of commerce and industry, which were among important stakeholders during that period, aiming to prevent anticompetitive practices. Following the feedbacks, an investigation was opened for identifying the likely competition problems quickly, which is still ongoing. 

The said activities also paved the way to the launch of investigations focusing on key sectors for recovery such as construction and healthcare. For instance, an investigation was opened concerning cement producers in the region about price fixing. The TCA’s initiatives for contributing to the economic recovery of the region affected by the earthquake and protect fair competitive conditions also show that the TCA has the capacity to find rapid and effective solutions in the face of social and economic problems.  

The awards were granted to the winners in the award ceremony organized during the Annual ICN Conference in Sauípe, Brazil, on May 16, 2023. Competition Expert Esra Küçükikiz and Assistant Competition Expert Sebahat Yılmaz participated in the ceremony on behalf of the TCA. 

It is flattering that the importance the TCA attaches to the activities promoting a more competitive economic environment in addition to its fundamental duty of intervening in anticompetitive practices is appreciated in international platforms!