Competition Authority launches investigation into famous fuel company

The Competition Authority has announced that it has launched an investigation into Opet, a subsidiary of Koç Holding, over allegations that its agreements with dealers violate Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition. In its statement, the Authority noted, 'In the preliminary investigation, findings were obtained suggesting that while dealership agreements concluded between OPET and its dealers were in effect, the duration of the leasehold right established in favor of OPET on the land where the dealership activity takes place was extended, and in this way, the vertical relationship between the dealer and OPET was structured to exceed five years.'

Fuel dealership agreements are treated as a whole with usufruct and lease agreements that include non-compete obligations. According to legal regulations, the duration of a vertical relationship between a distributor and a dealer can be a maximum of five years. If this period is exceeded, the agreements in question cannot benefit from the Block Exemption Communiqué.

The statement further added, 'Distributors cannot force their dealers to enter into agreements with a duration exceeding five years through such agreements. Within this framework, the investigation will examine whether Opet has violated the law through vertical agreements.'

News Source: 12punto