Turkey launches investigation into Google over competition complaint

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Competition Board has opened an investigation into Google after concluding in its preliminary findings that a complaint about its search results for shopping could be rightful.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Aug. 3 that the board decided in its meeting last month to open a probe into four Google companies registered in the U.S., the EU and Turkey, namely, Google Reklamcılık ve Pazarlama Ltd. Şti, Google International LLC, Google LLC and Google Ireland Limited.

The complaint had claimed that Google “abuses its dominant position in search engine market, making the business of its competitors in online shopping harder.”

The board decided that the findings in its preliminary review were serious and adequate to launch a full investigation.

Google will also make its defense in another case at Turkey’s Competition Board on Aug. 28 in a case about its Android operating system and apps.

Google was hit with a record-breaking 4.3-billion-euro fine from the European Union last month for anticompetitive ”illegal practices” relating to its Android operating system.

The latest charge takes the total fine from the EU’s recent antitrust investigations to $6.7 billion and Google may be hit by yet another substantial fine when the third investigation concludes.