The Competition Authority has launched an investigation into Opet.

The Competition Authority has officially launched an investigation into Opet, a company operating in the fuel sector, for allegedly violating the Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition through its dealership agreements. The Authority's statement indicated that findings of certain anti-competitive practices were identified within the contracts signed between Opet and its dealers.

The preliminary investigation revealed that during the effective period of the dealership agreements, the duration of the lease rights granted in favor of Opet on the properties where dealership activities take place has been extended. This raised serious concerns regarding the structuring of the vertical relationship between the distributor and the dealer to exceed five years. Under current regulations, dealership agreements that include non-compete obligations are considered a single agreement, with a maximum duration of five years. Agreements exceeding this period may be deemed restrictive and coercive for dealers.