What did the Turkish Competition Authority Ignore in its First Hub-and-Spoke Cartel Decision?

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 12 Sayı: 1, 21 - 33, 26.01.2023

Emin Köksal Şahin Ardıyok

Öz

Hub-and-spoke cartels have recently come under the spotlight of competition authorities. The Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) found five grocery retailers and a cooking oil supplier in breach of Article 4 of the Turkish competition act (the equivalent of Article 101 TFEU). In this article, we discuss some of the drawbacks and limitations of the TCA’s first hub-and-spoke cartel decision. We examine how failure to conduct a simple economic analysis misled the TCA in its theory of how the hub-and-spoke cartel was formed and in its treatment of retailers’ sequential price setting.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Hub-and-spoke cartel, Turkish Competition Authority, Organized retail market

Rekabet Kurulu İlk Topla-Dağıt Karteli Kararında Neyi Göz Ardı Etti?

Öz

Topla-dağıt kartelleri son zamanlarda rekabet otoritelerinin ilgi odağı haline geldi. Rekabet Kurulu (RK), beş perakendeci ve bir bitkisel yağ tedarikçisinin Rekabet Kanunu'nun 4. Maddesini (ABİHA'nın 101. Maddesinin eşdeğeri) ihlal ettiğini tespit etti. Bu makalede, RK'nın ilk topla-dağıt karteli kararının bazı eksiklik ve sınırlamalarını tartışıyoruz. Basit bir ekonomik analiz eksikliğinin, topla-dağıt karteli iddiasının değerlenedirilmesinde ve perakendecilerin sıralı fiyat geçişlerine ilişkin yaklaşımında RK'yı nasıl yanılttığını inceliyoruz.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Rekabet Kurulu, Organize perakende pazarı, Topla-dağıt karteli

Kaynakça

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• Turkish Competition Authority. (2021a). Board Decision, numbered 121-53/747-360, dated 28.10.2021. https://www.rekabet.gov.tr/Karar?kararId=82884ab7-9d26-405c-9019-e2b9ee10f2c7
• Turkish Competition Authority. (2021b). FMCG Retail Sector Inquiry Preliminary Report. https://www.rekabet.gov.tr/Dosya/geneldosya/htmperakendeciligisektorincelemesionraporu-pdf