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Turkish court lifts trustee oversight of 7 poultry firms in antitrust probe

Workers package chicken products at a poultry processing facility. (Adobe Stock Photo)
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Workers package chicken products at a poultry processing facility. (Adobe Stock Photo)
June 18, 2026 04:12 PM GMT+03:00

An Istanbul court has lifted supervisory trustee measures imposed on seven poultry companies that were being monitored as part of an antitrust investigation into Türkiye's white meat industry launched last week.

The decision ended court-appointed oversight for the companies, including publicly traded Banvit and other major poultry producers such as Lezita, Ak Pilic, Bupilic, As Pilic, Senpilic and Ay-Pi, after the firms successfully challenged the measure.

The court noted that the supervision order had initially been imposed to support the investigation and protect the public interest. With the latest ruling, the trustee oversight applied to the seven companies has come to an end.

Investigation targets alleged market distortions

The move follows a broader investigation into alleged unfair price increases and anti-competitive practices in the poultry sector. The probe led to trustee oversight orders for 13 companies and detention warrants for 32 suspects.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said the investigation was launched following complaints over poultry prices, market conditions and access to basic food products.

Prosecutors described the measure as a monitoring mechanism that allows court-appointed officials to review corporate decisions, commercial activities and financial processes for legal compliance, rejecting claims that the companies had been seized or placed under state control.

According to the prosecutor's office, the oversight mechanism was intended to prevent disruptions to production and supply chains while helping curb stockpiling, artificial price increases, sales restrictions and other practices that could harm consumers.

Workers monitor broiler chickens at a commercial poultry farm in Türkiye. (AA Photo)
Workers monitor broiler chickens at a commercial poultry farm in Türkiye. (AA Photo)

Shares rally after court ends oversight

The latest probe follows a Competition Authority investigation launched in September 2025 into allegations that poultry producers exchanged competitively sensitive information and coordinated pricing practices. The case ended with administrative fines totaling approximately ₺3.7 billion ($89.1 million) imposed on 13 companies.

The Competition Board also required producers and suppliers to implement updated price lists immediately after sharing them with buyers, ending the use of forward-dated price lists that regulators said facilitated the exchange of sensitive pricing information.

Banvit, which is majority-owned by Brazil-based BRF GmbH and Qatar Holding LLC, received the largest penalty in the case, with a fine of ₺947 million ($22.8 million).

Banvit confirmed on Wednesday that the court had lifted the supervisory trusteeship measure imposed on the company. Its shares rose more than 5% during Thursday's trading session.

June 18, 2026 04:12 PM GMT+03:00
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