At the beginning of 2020, Competition Board started its preparatory work for “Digitalization and Competition Policy Report” to set the policies to be implemented in digital economy sector in the future. In order to strengthen the said process, the Board makes new job definitions regarding digital economy issues. 

Parallel to the recent developments in digital economy observed globally and locally, competition authorities now have to follow closely the effects of multilateral platforms and algorithms on markets and consumers. Given the influence area of big data and algorithm based competition infringements as well as the difficulty in detecting them, conventional practices and approaches will be insufficient to deal with those problems. In this scope, following closely the potential competition infringements that the digital platforms might create, in order to ensure that Competition Authority acts proactively, the below-mentioned activities are included under the job definitions of Strategy Development Department according to the Competition Board decision dated

7.5.2020 and numbered 20-23/307:

• To provide contributions to mergers/acquisitions, sector inquiries, investigations and preliminary inquiries regarding digital economy made under the body of Supervision and Enforcement Departments, 
• To submit opinions to the Board about investigations regarding digital economy, where necessary,
• To provide professional personnel support to competition inquiries regarding digital economy made by Supervision and Enforcement Departments, where necessary, 
• To carry out activities for training and informing the professional personnel regarding digital economy issues, 
• To share knowledge and experience with international institutions and other competition authorities, taking into account transnational effects of digital economy and multilateral platforms, 
• To carry out training activities at national and international level in order to take attention to the problems in this area in markets and to ensure that they are dealt under the scope of competition infringements, 
• To create awareness about the effects of digital economy and algorithms on markets and consumers, to contribute to the development of public policies by decision makers in those areas by communicating with relevant Ministries, institutions and authorities.

Within this framework, Supervision and Enforcement Departments’ current sector-based power and responsibility areas do not change; however, the above-mentioned new duties defined in relation with digital economy will be fulfilled in coordination with the relevant professional department. 

Respectfully announced to the public.