The Competition Board has finalized its preliminary investigation into electric vehicle charging services provided on the Northern Marmara Motorway (O-7). The investigation conducted into Marmara Otoyolu Yatırım ve İşletme AŞ (MAŞ) under the Law on the Protection of Competition has concluded with the acceptance of the commitments offered by the company.
In the investigation initiated by the Board on June 10, 2026, it was determined that MAŞ had granted privileges to companies affiliated with its own shareholders in the processes of installing and operating charging stations at service facilities along the motorway. Following the rejection of requests from competing charging network operators, serious suspicions of competition violations regarding exclusivity conditions had arisen.
EQUAL CONDITIONS WILL BE ENSURED
During the preliminary investigation process, MAŞ submitted various commitments to the Competition Authority to address competition concerns. At the meeting held by the Board on October 15, 2026, these submitted commitments were found to be capable of resolving the issue and applicable, and were made binding for the company.
According to the accepted rules, MAŞ will not be able to enter into exclusive agreements that limit charging services to specific companies for the duration of its operations on the motorway. In contracts to be signed with charging network operators, no discrimination will be allowed in commercial terms such as project entry fees, deposits, revenue sharing ratios, and general expense shares, and completely equal conditions will be offered to existing operators and new companies entering the market.
CALENDAR SET FOR APPLICATION PROCESSES
MAŞ has been obligated to complete preparations for application and invitation processes for new operators wishing to operate on the motorway within at most two months from the notification of the reasoned decision. Applications from companies wishing to be included in the system will be evaluated and concluded within a maximum of four months.
To confirm that the process is being conducted transparently, the company will regularly provide information to the Competition Authority every six months for three years. With this decision, it is aimed to strengthen the competitive structure in the market and ensure that electric vehicle drivers have access to a richer range of charging service options on the motorway.
News Source: 12punto
