Turkey Competition Board Probes Coca-Cola Over Alleged Market Obstruction

Turkey's Competition Authority has launched a formal investigation into Coca-Cola İçecek and its subsidiary Coca-Cola Satış ve Dağıtım for potential violations of competition law, specifically examining whether the company imposed exclusivity on retail outlets and excluded competitors. This probe follows a 2021 preliminary inquiry and a commitment package Coca-Cola submitted to address such concerns, which included restrictions on discounts and promotions to maintain fair competition. The investigation will also review Coca-Cola's compliance with these 2021 commitments. Despite the probe, Coca-Cola İçecek emphasized that the investigation does not imply any confirmed violation or penalty at this stage. The inquiry comes amid a challenging operating environment for Coca-Cola İçecek in Turkey, where it anticipates modest sales growth and a flat EBIT margin in 2025. Previous reports note that regional calls for boycotts affected Coca-Cola's sales in Turkey and Pakistan last year, though the company is currently viewed favorably by some investors and analysts.