On April 24, 2025, Counsel Dr. Y. Sertaç Serter and Associate Aslı Ak delivered a presentation titled “Analysing the Necessity of the Appeal Ban in Settlements vis-à-vis EU Legislation, General Legal Principles, and Practical Challenges” at the 20th Applied Competition Law Seminars organized by Istanbul Bilgi University.

Their presentation focused on the settlement procedure introduced by the 2020 amendments to Act No. 4054, specifically examining how the appeal ban restricts undertakings’ access to judicial review. The speakers explored the rationale behind implementing this ban—a feature not found in EU regulations—and evaluated its compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights.

They highlighted the potential implications of the ban on fundamental rights, including access to justice, the right to a fair trial, the right to a reasoned decision, and the protection of property rights. Furthermore, they questioned whether the intended objective of enhancing procedural efficiency had, in practice, been achieved.

About Balcıoğlu Selçuk Eymirlioğlu Ardıyok Keki Attorney Partnership

Balcıoğlu Selçuk Eymirlioğlu Ardıyok Keki Attorney Partnership is an Istanbul-based full-service law firm led by almost 100 experienced professionals since 2007, each well equipped to provide creative and diligent transaction counselling and cutting-edge legal services. We advise national and multinational clients, including Fortune 500 companies on corporate and M&A, banking and finance, capital markets, competition and antitrust, public policy and regulation, employment and labor, project finance, real estate and construction, infrastructure and PPPs, franchising and distribution, trade, WTO and customs, intellectual property, data and technology, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity, arbitration, litigation and dispute resolution, and tax matters.