Turkish competition board opens probe into Apple

On Thursday, the Turkish Competition Board announced it was launching an investigation into Apple and four other companies — Destek Bilisim, Easycep Bilisim, Getmobil Technology, and HB Bilisim — to dig into whether they’ve been meddling with the sales prices set by resellers in Turkey. This move came after a preliminary inquiry into Apple’s operations in the country, specifically looking at whether the tech giant was throwing its weight around to control pricing for its products when sold through these partners.
The focus is on whether Apple, alongside these resellers, has been setting resale prices or tweaking promotional conditions in a way that might stifle competition. The Turkish regulators suspect this could violate Article 4 of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition, which cracks down on agreements that fix prices or otherwise mess with market dynamics. Beyond just resale prices, there’s also a question of whether Apple’s been coordinating buyback prices—you know, those trade-in values for old devices—with these firms, potentially keeping a tight grip on the second-hand market too.
The companies involved aren’t small players either. Easycep, for instance, is a big name in Turkey’s refurbished electronics scene, while HB Bilisim focuses on reselling to businesses and retail. Destek Bilisim and Getmobil are also part of Apple’s distribution network in the region. The Competition Board’s statement made it clear that this investigation kicked off after they found enough in their initial probe to warrant a deeper look, though they’re careful to note that opening a case doesn’t mean guilt is a done deal—just that there’s smoke worth checking for fire.
This isn’t Apple’s first brush with competition authorities globally, but in Turkey, it’s a fresh spotlight on how the company manages its ecosystem. If the allegations hold water, it could mean hefty fines or stricter rules for Apple and its partners down the line.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple holds the line on resellers’ pricing through a mix of contractual control, supply chain management, and market dominance, all while carefully navigating legal boundaries. The Turkish case is a test of how far the company can push this strategy in a volatile, heavily regulated market like Turkey.

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