Watchdog fines Turkcell TRY91.94 million for abusing market dominance

According to the Hurriyet Daily News, the Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) has fined Turkcell, Turkey’s largest cellco by subscribers, TRY91.94 million (USD58.36 million) for breaching competition rules regarding distribution. Hurriyet notes that Turkcell defended itself on 31 May as part of the competition board’s investigation into its activities. During the hearing, Turkcell’s chief legal affairs officer Umit Akin reportedly protested that, given its dominant position within the market, Turkcell is now obliged to run its activities in a ‘tough competitive environment’, adding: ‘We do not mention this as an objection, but we say this because others are claiming the opposite’. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Turkcell reported 33.1 million subscribers at end-March 2011, equivalent to a 53.6% market share. The firm’s rivals in the Turkish wireless sector are Vodafone Turkey and Avea.