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The Competition Authority has fined Google TRY 2.6 billion. So what lies behind this decision? We have compiled all the details on the Competition Authority's powers, its role in the markets and Google's competition violations.
In free markets, competition may, over time, become destructive and adversely affect economic welfare and social development. Because this risk may lead companies to abuse their economic power, state intervention is necessary. The protection of competition is essential for freedom of enterprise and for a healthy economic system.
Article 167 of the 1982 Constitution entrusts the State with the duty to prevent monopolisation and cartelisation. In this context, Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition was adopted in 1994, and the Competition Authority (Rekabet Kurumu), charged with enforcing this law, became operational in 1997.
The core task of the Competition Authority is to prevent agreements that restrict competition in the markets, the abuse of a dominant position, and merger and acquisition transactions that would distort competition. Where the Authority identifies an infringement, it has the power to impose administrative fines on the companies responsible.
Pursuant to Article 6 of Law No. 4054, the abuse by one or more undertakings of their dominant position in a market for a good or service, in the whole or in a part of the country, either alone or through agreements or concerted practices with others, is unlawful and prohibited.
Cases of abuse include, in particular, the following:
a) Actions that directly or indirectly prevent another undertaking from entering the field of commercial activity, or that aim to make the activities of competitors in the market more difficult,
b) Discriminating, directly or indirectly, between purchasers in an equivalent position by applying different conditions to the same and equivalent rights, obligations and performances,
c) Making the purchase of a good or service conditional on the purchase of another good or service together with it, or making a good or service demanded by purchasers acting as intermediary undertakings conditional on the purchaser also displaying another good or service, or imposing restrictions on the terms of purchase and sale in the event of resale, such as prohibiting a purchased good from being sold below a certain price,
d) Actions aiming to distort the conditions of competition in another market for goods or services by exploiting the financial, technological and commercial advantages created by dominance in a particular market,
e) Restricting production, marketing or technical development to the detriment of consumers. This is how the provision is formulated.
The fine imposed on Google under the Competition Authority's Decision No. 24-53/1180-509 of 13.12.2024 stems from the company's competition infringements in the field of online display advertising and advertising technology services. The Authority found that Google holds a dominant position in the publisher ad server services market and that it restricted competition by abusing this position.
In particular, it was determined that Google, in its search services, places its own services and products in an advantageous position compared with those of its competitors, thereby making the activities of other undertakings more difficult. This conduct is in clear breach of the provision contained in subparagraph (d) of Article 6 of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition, which reads:
“Abuse of a dominant position through actions aiming to distort the conditions of competition in another market for goods or services by exploiting the financial, technological and commercial advantages created by dominance in a particular market.”
The Competition Authority likewise assessed these practices of Google as an “abuse of a dominant position” and stated that they infringe Article 6 of Law No. 4054. The infringement in question arises from Google's favouring of its own supply-side platform in its publisher ad server service. Supply-side platforms (SSP – Supply Side Platforms) are the systems publishers use to sell their advertising space. Demand-side platforms (DSP – Demand Side Platforms), by contrast, are the interfaces advertisers use to buy advertising space.
Using its dominance in publisher ad server services, Google gives its own supply-side platform an advantage, and this narrows the market share of rival SSPs. The Competition Authority decided that these actions restrict competition and make the activities of other undertakings more difficult.
Accordingly, pursuant to Article 16 of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition and the relevant regulation, an administrative fine of TRY 2,607,563,963.59 was imposed on Google. In addition, the Authority granted Google a period of 6 months to provide third-party supply-side platforms (rival SSPs) with conditions no less favourable than those provided to its own services. It was further provided that, should this obligation not be fulfilled, a daily administrative fine would be applied.
