ANKARA, April 28, 2026 — The Turkish Competition Authority has launched an investigation into 29 manufacturers and distributors of orthopedic and neurosurgery medical equipment and four industry associations over suspected price-fixing and supply restrictions.
The probe concerns allegations that the companies and associations coordinated their conduct to increase prices and limit the supply of medical products covered by Turkey’s Health Implementation Communiqué.
Alleged coordinated conduct
According to the authority, preliminary findings suggest that suppliers of orthopedic, neurosurgery, arthroplasty and arthroscopy products may have acted jointly to fix prices and restrict the volume of products supplied to hospitals.
The investigation also indicates that the allegedly fixed prices were applied across all hospitals, without distinction between public and private healthcare providers.
Authorities suspect that suppliers may have restricted supply to ensure that hospitals could not obtain products at the lower prices specified in the Health Implementation Communiqué, effectively pushing prices higher.
Potential competition law violations
The Competition Board decided on 12 March 2026 to open a formal investigation after identifying evidence suggesting that the conduct could constitute a breach of Article 4 of the Act No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition.
Article 4 prohibits agreements and coordinated practices between companies that restrict competition, including price-fixing and supply limitation.
Next steps
The investigation will examine whether the actions of the companies and the associations representing them amount to an anti-competitive agreement aimed at manipulating prices and restricting supply in the medical devices market.
The authority noted that the decision to open the investigation does not constitute a final determination of infringement, but allows the Competition Board to carry out a detailed assessment of the evidence.
