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Bahadir BALKI is known for his excellent work discipline together with his intriguing and effective defences. In the last ten years, he has been involved in virtually every significant cartel and abuse of dominance investigations launched by the Turkish Competition Authority concerning insurance, banking, iron&steel, automotive, cement, telecommunications, broadcasting rights, ro-ro transportation, FMCG, alcoholic beverages, media audit, port services etc. Clients have also benefited from Mr. BALKI’s extensive experience in global merger cases, especially in Phase II procedures, in a variety of industries (i.e. eyewear and lenses, titanium dioxide, crop protection business, iron&steel, FMCG, ground handling, aviation, port management services, ro-ro transportation, cement, movie theatre).
Beyond successfully leading the leniency applications, Mr. BALKI’s experience is above the rest in terms of leniency enforcement. He contributed to the creation of the first precedent in the Turkish competition law practice for leniency in non-cartel cases, whereby a leniency applicant represented by ACTECON still obtained the immunity even if the nature of the violation is not considered a cartel by the Turkish Competition Authority.
He conducts comprehensive competition compliance programs focusing on details of the relevant market structure and provides legal consultancy services on day-to-day business for his clients who come from a wide range of industries. He is regarded as a pragmatic and client-focused advisor connected to the business facts.
He is acknowledged and welcomed by other institutions in the area of antitrust law. He was invited to the ICN Annual Meeting 2014 as a “resource person” on “Remedies, Commitments, and Cooperation”. He was also a member of drafting team for ICN Unilateral Conduct Workbook chapters on “Tying and Bundling”. He is also a co-writer of the Turkey Chapters of editions on “Private Antitrust Litigation” (since 2015) and “Competition Compliance” (since 2017) published by Lexology, Getting the Deal Through.
He is a lecturer in Corporate Ethics and Compliance Management Program organized by the Ethics and Reputation Society of Turkey.
Bahadir BALKI is recommended as a leading competition lawyer globally by Who’s Who Legal: Competition since 2015.
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The Leading Individual in Competition Law Practice in Turkey in 2022, by Legal 500.
One of the "World's Leading Competition Lawyers", by Global Competition Review and Who's Who Legal, between 2015-2022.
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Universität des Saarlandes - Europa-Institut, LL.M. in EU Economy Law, 2008
Bahcesehir University, Law Faculty, LLB, 2006
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- “Are You a “Technology Undertaking” within the Scope of Merger Control in Turkey?”, ABA Business Law Today, July 12, 2023 with M. Fevzi Toksoy and Hanna Stakheyeva
- “The Intellectual Property and Antitrust Review: Turkey”, The Law Reviews, July 11, 2023 with M. Fevzi Toksoy, Caner K. Çeşit, Ulya Zeynep Tan and İrem Özdamar
- The Private Competition Enforcement Review 2023, Turkey, The Law Reviews, with Caner. K. Çeşit, Ulya Zeynep Tan and Miraç Mert Karakaş
- "The Turkish Competition Authority Fines Elon Musk due to Failure to Notify the Twitter Deal", Concurrences, March 6, 2023 with Nabi Can Acar
- “Main Developments in Competition Law and Policy 2022 – Turkey”, Kluwer Competition Law Blog, February 14, 2023 with Sera Erzene Yildiz, Hanna Stakheyeva and Nabi Can Acar
- "The Turkish Competition Authority Takes a Wide Interpretation of the “Technology Undertaking” Exception Applicable to the Turkey’s Merger Control Thresholds", Concurrences, February 1, 2023, with Erdem Aktekin, Nabi Can Acar and Helin Yüksel
- "The Ankara 13th Administrative Court Rules for the Annulment of Turkish Competition Authority’s Cartel Decision Due to Failure of Standard of Proof (Kronospan)", Concurrences, November 2022, with Mustafa Ayna, Özlem Başıböyük Coşkun, Arda Deniz Diler and Selim Turan
- "A New Age for Digital Markets in Turkey? The Draft Amendment to the Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, October 2022, with Erdem Aktekin, Nabi Can Acar, Helin Yüksel, Mehmet Mikail Demir and Seda Eliri
- “Of SIEC-Test and Thresholds: Merger Control 2022 in Turkey”, Kluwer Competition Law Blog, October 2022, with Fevzi Toksoy and Hanna Stakheyeva
- Merger Control in the EU and Turkey, A Comparative Guide, Second Edition, Wolters Kluwer, with Fevzi Toksoy and Hanna Stakheyeva
- Private Antitrust Litigation 2023, Turkey, Lexology, Getting the Deal Through, Law Business Research with Fevzi Toksoy and Ertuğrul Can Canbolat
- The Private Competition Enforcement Review 2022, Turkey, The Law Reviews, with Fevzi Toksoy, Ertuğrul Can Canbolat, and Sıla Coşkunoğlu
- The Public Competition Enforcement Review, 2022, Turkey, The Law Reviews, with Ertuğrul Can Canbolat, Caner K. Çeşit and İdil Gizay Doğan
- Intellectual Property & Antitrust 2022, Turkey, Lexology, Getting the Deal Through, Law Business Research with Fevzi Toksoy, Caner K.Çeşit, Deniz Kıvanç and Ulya Zeynep Tan
- Competition Compliance 2022, Turkey, Lexology, Getting the Deal Through, Law Business Research with Fevzi Toksoy, Ertuğrul Can Canbolat and Caner K. Çeşit
- Trade & Customs, 2022 Turkey, Getting The Deal Through, Law Business Research, with Fevzi Toksoy, Ertuğrul Can Canbolat and Emin Kutay Çelebi
- "The TCA's Stance on No Poaching Agreements: A Comparative Analysis", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, June 2022, with Arda Deniz Diler
- "A Critical Approach to Standard of Proof Adopted by the TCA", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, April 2022, with Mustafa Ayna and Özlem Başıböyük
- "Communiqué Concerning the Mergers and Acquisitions Calling for the Authorization of the Competition Board Has Been Amended", Concurrences, March 2022, with Mustafa Ayna, Özlem Başıböyük and Arda Deniz Diler
- Main Developments in Competition Law and Policy 2021: Turkey, Kluwer Competition Law Blog, with Fevzi Toksoy
- International Trade in Goods and Services in Turkey, 2020: Overview, Practical Law Country Guide in International Trade, with Fevzi Toksoy, Ertuğrul Can Canbolat, Emin Kutay Çelebi, Kenan Güler, and Cüneyt Yetgin
- "Guards up for Multinational Companies in Case of an On-The-Spot Inspection", Lexology, December 2020, with Umay Rona
- "A Reflection of the Turkish Competition Authority’s Enforcement History for Examination of Digital Data During On-Site Inspections: Guidelines on Examination of Digital Data During On-Site Inspections Has Been Published", Lexology, November 2020
- "Google Removes Display of Its Shopping Unit in Turkey After the Remedy Phase of the Turkish Competition Authority’s (TCA) Google Shopping Decision Gets Stuck", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, September 2020, with Erdem Aktekin
- "Turkey – Recent Regulation on the Unfair Price Assessment Board: How the Board Will Function?", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, June 2020
- "The Regional Administrative Court Found the Turkish Competition Authority’s Decision concerning Mey İçki Unlawful: Abuse of the Dominance Should Be Evaluated Separately in terms of Each Product Market!", Concurrences, May 2020, with Mustafa Ayna and Özlem Başıböyük
- "The Turkish Competition Authority Initiates its First Pandemic Related Investigation Against 29 Undertakings", Concurrences, May 2020
- "Turkish Competition Authority Reiterates: Labor Market is Subject to Competition Law Enforcement", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, May 2020
- "The Regional Administrative Court Found the Turkish Competition Authority’s Decision concerning Mey İçki Unlawful", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, May 2020, with Mustafa Ayna and Özlem Başıböyük
- "Turkish Competition Watchdog Initiates its First Pandemic-Related Investigation", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, May 2020
- "The Undertakings Operating in the Automotive Sector under the Review of the TCA Once Again", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, May 2020, with Mustafa Ayna and Özlem Başıböyük
- "TCA is Acting Heavy Handedly During Covid-19 Outbreak", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, April 2020, with Nabi Can Acar and Burak Buğrahan Sezer
- "How Will Turkey Deal with Unfair Practices During COVID-19 Outbreak: Establishment of the Unfair Price Assessment Board", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, April 2020
- "The Turkish Competition Authority Investigates the Allegations on Leading Energy Drink Company (Red Bull)", Concurrences, April 2020, with Ayberk Kurt and Alper Karafil
- "A Record Fine Was Imposed by the Turkish Competition Authority on Four Major Players Operating in the Fuel Distribution Sector", Concurrences, March 2020, with Mustafa Ayna and Özlem Başıböyük
- "The Undertakings Operating in the Automotive Sector under the Review of the TCA Once Again, Concurrences, March 2020, with Mustafa Ayna and Özlem Başıböyük
- "TCA’s Preliminary Inquiry into Google’s Shopping Unit Bidding Mechanism", Kluwer Competition Law Blog, February 2020, with Burak Buğrahan Sezer
- "The Evaluation of the Presumption of Concerted Practices in the Turkish Competition Act and of its Utilization under the Case Law of The European Court of Justice", Turkish Competition Journal, July 2009
- "The European Antitrust Review 2011", Turkey Chapter, Global Competition Review, with Fevzi Toksoy
- "Online Food and Grocery Delivery Markets are Getting Crowded Thanks to the TCA’s Yemeksepeti Decision", Concurrences, December 2019, with Nabi Can Acar and Burak Buğrahan Sezer
- "The Spanish Competition Authority Initiates Second-Phase Examination in Connection with an Acquisition of a White Cement Production Base", Concurrences, July 2019, with Nabi Can Acar and Burak Buğrahan Sezer
- "The Turkish Competition Authority Finds Exchange of Informations and Supply Restrictions from Nine Undertakings During an Investigation in the Poultry Sector," Concurrences, March 2019, with Mustafa Ayna
- Main Developments in Competition Law and Policy 2023 – Türkiye, Kluwer Competition Law Blog, March 27, 2024, Hanna Stakheyev and Muhammed Safa Uygur.
- International Trade 2024, Law and Practice, with M Fevzi Toksoy, Ertuğrul Can Canbolat and Deboleena Dutta
- The Legal 500 Country Comparative Guides Turkey International Trade 2024 with M. Fevzi Toksoy and Ertuğrul Can Canbolat
- Private Competition Enforcement 2024, Turkey, Lexology, with M. Fevzi Toksoy, Ertuğrul Can Canbolat and Muhammed Safa Uygur.
- Türkiye: Why data commodification warrants updates to current regulatory framework, Global Competition Review, with Caner K. Çeşit, Alper Karafil and Şamil Emirhan.
- "Private Antitrust Litigation 2025", Türkiye, Lexology, with Ertuğrul Can Canbolat and Muhammed Safa Uygur.
- "Türkiye Introduces New Rules for Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Data – Key Takeaways", Türkiye, Lexology, July 2024, with Burak Emre Çetin.
- Puplic Competition Enforcement 2024, Türkiye, Lexology, with Caner K. Çeşit, Alper Karafil, Burçe Göçer and Mehmet F. Müezzinoğlu
- Intellectual Property and Antitrust 2024, Türkiye, Lexology, with M.Fevzi Toksoy, Caner K. Çeşit, Alper Karafil, Şamil Emirhan and Mehmet F. Müezzinoğlu.
- Dominance and Monopolies 2024, Türkiye, Lexology, with Ertuğrul Can Canbolat, Can Yıldız and Sera Erzene Yıldız.
- Cartels & Leniency 2025 18th Edition, Türkiye, ICGL, with M.Fevzi Toksoy and Can Sarıçiçek.