On May 27, 2025, Counsel Dr. Y. Sertaç Serter contributed a remarkable conference titled “Administrative Judicial Review in Turkish Competition Law: Current Issues, Challenges, and Solutions”, hosted by Istanbul Bilgi University, brought together a prominent group of legal professionals in competition and administrative law. The event featured distinguished participants including the former President of the 13th Chamber of the Council of State and Honorary Chief Prosecutor, rapporteur judges of the 13th Chamber and a member of the Ankara Administrative Court, as well as renowned academics and experienced legal practitioners. The conference provided a great platform to dive into the most important and frequently debated competition law matters in recent years with administrative judiciary members, which is a very rare occasion.

What truly set this conference apart was the active participation and detailed presentations of high-ranking administrative judges, whose contributions were especially insightful given that judicial decisions in the Turkish legal system are rarely published or made publicly accessible. Therefore, the event was an opportunity to directly hear from judges on critical and frequently discussed issues in competition law. The sessions focused on key challenges in Turkish competition law, including the rising number of investigations, high administrative fines, judicial boundaries in reviewing administrative actions, concerns over procedural fairness and constitutional rights, the implementation of recently introduced mechanisms into competition law such as settlement. The evolving limits of the Turkish Competition Authority’s on-site inspection powers were also thoroughly addressed in light of landmark decisions by the Council of State and rulings of the Constitutional Court.

Dr. Y. Sertaç Serter, Counsel from our Competition, Antitrust, Public Policy and Regulation team, contributed to the session on “Limits of Administrative Judicial Review from a Fundamental Rights Perspective”. His presentation, “What Can Change in Judicial Practice with a Rights-Based Approach?” sparked thoughtful discussions on how fundamental rights could reshape judicial review in competition law.

This event marks a crucial gathering as it united judges, academics and practitioners, with the aim of shedding light on unresolved legal questions and uncertainties, while offering constructive ideas for strengthening judicial oversight - particularly in a legal system still developing in terms of transparency and access to judicial reasoning. Given the infrequency of such gatherings, the depth and openness of the discussions were particularly noteworthy, making the conference even more significant and enriching for Turkish competition law practice.

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.