Rekabet Kurulu Imposes 21 Million Fine on Vatan Bilgisayar for Involvement in Price-Fixing Cartel

Major Fine Imposed on Vatan Bilgisayar for Anti-Competitive Practices

The Competition Authority has announced the imposition of a substantial financial penalty amounting to 21 million Turkish Lira on Vatan Bilgisayar. This decisive action stems from findings that the company engaged in coordinated activities with its competitors, forming part of a clandestine "pay-and-distribute cartel" that directly breaches the Law on the Protection of Competition.

According to the official statement released on the Competition Authority’s website, the investigation uncovered that Vatan Bilgisayar, through its associate Fakir Electric Home Appliances, participated in indirect information sharing with other major retailers, namely Teknosa and MediaMarkt. This exchange of sensitive commercial information was carried out in a manner that violated competition laws, leading to the authority’s formal decision against Vatan Bilgisayar.

Details of the Investigation and Findings

The investigation revealed that Vatan Bilgisayar collaborated with its industry counterparts, forming a cartel aimed at controlling pricing strategies and market distribution channels. The cartel’s operational model, dubbed the "pay-and-distribute" scheme, involved coordinated efforts to manipulate market conditions and suppress fair competition.

Settlement and Penalty Reduction

During the investigation process, Vatan Bilgisayar opted to participate in the settlement process, similar to other involved parties. This voluntary agreement allowed the Competition Authority to apply a 25% reduction on the original administrative fine. As a result, the company was subjected to a penalty of approximately 21 million Turkish Lira. This settlement not only led to the conclusion of the investigation against Vatan Bilgisayar but also demonstrated the company's acknowledgment of the misconduct.

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