Turkish Competition Authority fines Google 36 million dollars (296 m Turkish Lira)

As a result of the investigation carried out against Google charges that Google has  abused its dominant position in the general search services market and highlighted its local search and accommodation price comparison services in a way to exclude its competitors The Competition Authority of Turkey fined the Economic integrity of Google on the meeting held April 8th. The Decision has been announced through the official website of the institution on April 14th.

Previously, in its decision on November 12, 2020, the Competition Authority fined Google neary 25.5 million dollars, 196 millions 708 thousand Turkish liras,  for the text based ads.

Google will report to the Authority for five years

Google was obliged to provide competitor local search services and competitor accommodation price comparison services on the general search results page with conditions under which Google would not be disadvantaged from its respective services. Google will also report to the Authority annually for a period of five years, starting from the first compliance measure. Google will be able to sue the penalty given by the board in Ankara Administrative Courts within 60 days.

This is the decision (In Turkish. The English Version ist translated via Google Translate)

The decision numbered 21-20 / 248-105 taken by the Competition Board at its meeting on 08.04.2021 is as follows:
1. Google Reklamcılık ve Pazarlama Ltd. under investigation. Şti.,
Google International LLC, Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited and Alphabet
Dominant in the general search services market of the economic integrity consisting of Inc.
that you are in a state,
2. Google’s own local search and accommodation price comparison services
Compared to competitors in terms of position and impression on the general search result page
by gaining advantage and preventing rival local search sites from entering the Local Unit
competitors’ activities and local search services and
competition in accommodation price comparison service markets
has violated Article 6 of the Law No. 4054 by causing
3. Therefore, the third paragraph of Article 16 of the Law No. 4054 and “Competition
Restrictive Agreement, Concerted Action and Decisions and Abuse of Dominant Position
5 of the Regulation on Fines to be Imposed in Case of Use.
(b) of the first paragraph of the article, the second paragraph and the third paragraph (b)
(a) of the first paragraph of Article 6 and the first paragraph of Article 7
determined by the Board and formed at the end of the 2020 fiscal year in accordance with the provisions of the
appreciating its annual gross income
– Google Advertising and Marketing Ltd. Şti., Google International LLC, Google
LLC, Google Ireland Limited and Alphabet Inc., jointly 296,084,899.49
TL
administrative fines,
4. To end the violation specified in Article 2 and to establish effective competition in the market.
to ensure that Google:
a. Within 6 (six) months from the notification of the justified decision, a competitor local search
general search for competitor accommodation price comparison services
disadvantageous from Google’s own related services on the results page
to meet the conditions in which they would not be,
b. Five years since the implementation of Google’s first compliance measure
to report to the Authority periodically throughout the period and once a year.
Jurisdiction in Ankara Administrative Courts within 60 days from the notification of the reasoned decision
it was decided, with a clear path.