Competition watchdog fines French high schools in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The Competition Authority has imposed an administrative fine of 21.3 million Turkish Liras ($661,000) on five French high schools in Istanbul over jointly determining school enrollment fees in violation of the competition law.

The Competition Authority had previously opened an inquiry to determine whether French educational institutions operating in Istanbul were violating the Law on the Protection of Competition – a law overseeing the equal competition environment in a given market.

According to the announcement by the Competition Authority on May 9, the team reported that Saint-Joseph, Saint Benoit, Notre-Dame de Sion, Saint-Michel and Sainte Pulcherie French schools jointly determined school registration fees, fee components and Turkish teachers' salaries, thus breaching the relevant provisions of the law.

Each of the five schools received separate fines totaling 21.3 million liras, with the highest penalty, amounting to 3.3 million liras, was imposed on Saint-Joseph French School for jointly determining school enrollment fees, while 2.2 million liras were fined for jointly determining Turkish teachers' salaries.

During a hearing in April, a representative of the French schools denied the allegations, claiming they did not engage in fee agreements among schools.

French schools in Türkiye demand high scores from students in nationwide exams while simultaneously charging high annual fees. Institutions offering education in French are known as among the most qualified educational institutions in the country.