Turkey, like most emerging markets, did not adopt a Competition
Law until the 1990s. The completion of the Customs Union with the
EU was the main driver behind the December 12, 1994 enactment and
subsequent implementation of Law no. 4054 on the Protection of
Competition.
Since 2012, a number of developments have increased the
importance of the Competition Law for all enterprises doing
business in Turkey. First, the Turkish Competition Authority (TCA)
adopted Communique no. 2012/2, which laid down admissibility rules
with respect to complaints, and Communique no. 2012/3, which
increased turnover thresholds for concentrations requiring prior
authorization. As a result, the case load of the TCA dropped by
nearly one third, enabling the Authority to concentrate on more
significant issues. Second, through a legislative amendment in
2012, the administrative courts of Ankara, Turkey's capital,
were established as first instance courts competent in appeals of
decisions of
