Istanbul’s French high schools face competition probe

ISTANBUL

Five prominent French high schools providing education in Türkiye on April 17 gave statements regarding an investigation initiated by the Competition Authority, alleging violations of competition law in setting school fees and Turkish teachers' salaries.

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 market.

The investigation 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.

Consequently, the investigation team requested two separate administrative fines for the institutions. Following the discussions, the enterprises presented their oral defenses, with representatives denying the allegations, claiming they did not engage in fee agreements among schools.

The authority will announce its final decision on the investigation within 15 days.

French curriculum 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.