With the decision of the Turkish Competition Board ("Board"), the sector inquiry for e-marketplace platforms, which are important actors in the field of e-commerce, was initiated on 11 June 2020. E-marketplace platforms, which have a distinctive feature from traditional markets, have a very significant place in the context of the competitive ecosystem in the market due to their operation and their effects on the market and the consumer. In order to establish a healthy competitive environment, it has been stated that a sector inquiry has been initiated for e-marketplaces that have a platform economy. Within the disputes before the Board, it has been determined that "the sector has different competitive dynamics and, in this respect, it has a different and complex structure and operation than the traditional legal framework stipulates". As a result of the sector inquiry initiated, the Turkish Competition Authority ("Authority") published the "E-Marketplace Platforms Sector Inquiry Preliminary Report" ("Preliminary Report") on 7 May 2021. Policy recommendations contained in the Preliminary Report have been finalized by taking into account public opinion, the developments in the market and ongoing legislation work before the Authority, and the "E-Marketplace Platforms Sector Inquiry Final Report" ("Final Report") was published on 14 April 2022. The main purpose of the Final Report is to detect emerging problems for online platforms, which are at the center of digitalization and have gained momentum with the COVID-19 pandemic and the policy recommendations for the solution of competition problems are presented.

Retail e-commerce is discussed in the first part of the Final Report, the concept of e-marketplace andthe developments of the related concepts in the global dimension and in Turkey are examined in the second and following parts. In the continuation of the Final Report, examples of the multi-category e-marketplace platforms market for Turkey are given. Following these, the basic economic features of e-marketplaces are mentioned and competition problems arising from the behavior of e-marketplaces are included. Finally, the policy recommendations in the Preliminary Report are reviewed, along with the main findings, and the final policy examples are evaluated. It should be noted that both of the aforementioned reports emphasize the growth experienced in the e-commerce sector with digitalization. In this context, it is stated that the growing e-commerce volume and growth rate will carry Turkey to the position of 'the country with the highest growth rate' on the global stage with the determinations that are made regarding the behavior of e-marketplaces, which are the important channels of the relevant market.

In the Final Report, competition problems arising from the practices and behaviors of e-marketplace platforms, which are the subject of the sector inquiry, are discussed under the headings of (i) cross-platform competition, (ii) intra-platform competition, and (iii) concerns for consumers.

(i) Cross-Platform Competition

Based on the approach that the main driving factor regarding competition in the market is competition between brands; offering various products under reasonable conditions to the consumer creates the need for continuous development and innovation for e-marketplaces regarding the structure of the market. Thus, competition occurs not only in providing services/products to consumers, but also in terms of vendors and e-marketplace platforms. At this point, the solution of potential problems arising from the behavior and practices of e-marketplaces will be possible with the rapid response of competition rules to changes in the market.

(ii) Intra-Platform Competition

The scope of competition on e-platforms is shaped in line with the business model adopted by e-marketplaces. Depending on the scope of the platform, the roles of the marketplaces are influential in the competitive relationship between the e-marketplace actors. In cases where the scope of relevant roles expands, conflicts of interest may arise and these conflicts may cause intra-platform competition. The discrimination of the marketplaces against the sellers, the favoring of the hybrid marketplaces that have the role of both a supplier and a competitor, or the non-transparent use of the intense data collected by the marketplaces may create asymmetry in the competition within the platform.

(iii) Concerns for Consumers

Multi-category e-marketplaces that enable consumers to expand their shopping opportunities and provide them with a wide variety of products and/or services in a shorter period of time, changes habits in consumption compared to traditional shopping methods. Consumers facing this change have caused channel growth as a result of their demands to this channel, which creates consumer benefits, and as the consumer survey findings show, e-marketplaces are successfully meeting consumer demands.

In addition to providing consumer welfare through e-marketplaces, the potential concerns that the behavior of these actors may create on consumers are also important. Price, which is one of the motivation factors for shopping, creating addiction by keeping the consumer's attention alive and gaining market power by collecting excessive data can be counted among the aforementioned concerns

CONCLUSION

In order to keep up with the digitalization that has accelerated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the rules of competition must be agile enough to allow the growth and development of e-marketplace platforms. In the Preliminary Report, which was submitted to the public's opinions and evaluations on 7 May 2021, with reference to the importance attributed to the digital economy and the competition problems that may arise in e-marketplace platforms; policy recommendations have been put forward to strengthen the secondary legislation, regulate the "platform code of conduct", and make regulations for the e-marketplace platforms, which are defined as gatekeepers. In the Preliminary Report; it is seen that the findings examined under the headings of cross-platform competition, intra-platform competition and concerns for consumers are repeated in the Final Report. It is stated that these findings discussed in the Preliminary Report and the policy recommendations made are accurate in line with the developments in the market within the period between the Preliminary Report and the Final Report. Furthermore, considering the legislative work signaled in the Preliminary Report, the aim of this Final Report is to finalize the policies regarding the sector. In this context, it is stated that the policy recommendations put forward have been finalized, and legislative work has accelerated primarily for multi-category marketplace platforms and basic platform service.

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