17 banana vendors investigated for price collusion in Mediterranean Turkey

Some 17 wholesale banana vendors and one association in the Mediterranean province of Mersin are being probed for price collusion, the Turkish Competition Authority said on Jan. 20. The province provides around 90 percent of the country's domestic bananas.

Duvar English

The Turkish Competition Authority launched a price collusion investigation into 17 wholesale banana vendors and one association in the Mediterranean province of Mersin, the agency said on Jan. 20.

The competition authority found sufficient evidence to create reasonable doubt of collusion in pre-emptive research, and officially started a legal investigation into the vendors and the association.

The Mediterranean province produces about 90 percent of all of Turkey's domestic banana supply, Anamur-Bozyazı Agricultural Chamber Head Ahmet Şeref Gümüş had told the daily Dünya on Nov. 20, 2020. 

Priced at around 50 percent less than its foreign counterpart, Anamur bananas are harvested year-long on the country's southern coast. 

Located in the Anamur and Bozyazı districts, the investigated entities are Bozyazı Komisyoncular Derneği, Ahmet Gilik Gilikler Yaş Meyve ve Sebze Ticareti, Ahmet Koçluk Kuzu Komisyon Evi, Aydul Tarım Ürn. İnş. Gıda Nak. Pet. Ürn. San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti, Ayyıldız Gıda Tarım Ürünleri İnşaat Malzemeleri Taşımacılık Mobilya Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti, Deniz Turizm ve Otelcilik AŞ, Doğan Tarım Ürünleri Nakliyat ve Otomotiv Sanayi Ticaret Ltd. Şti, Fehmi Çiçek Komisyon Evi, Halil Ulutaş-Akışlar Yaş Sebze Meyve Ticareti, Karaoğlu Hırdavat Tarım Ürünleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti, Osman Özdeniz Özdeniz Tarım Ürünleri, Osman Yılmaztürk-Yılmaztürkler Sarartma, Sedat Güğül-Güğül Komisyon Evi, Seracettin Akı Bizim Yaş Meyve ve Sebze Ticareti, Süleyman Özdeniz Özdenizler Komisyon, Süleyman Tok Sebze ve Meyve Ticareti, Şahin Yağlı Tohumlar Tarım ve Zirai Ürünler Paz. İnş. Tur. Tic. ve San. Ltd. Şti and Tamer Doğan Doğan Kardeşler Yaş Sebze ve Meyve Ticareti.