The Turkish Competition Board has officially launched an investigation into Unilever Sanayi ve Ticaret Türk AŞ and Magnum Dondurma AŞ following suspicions of anti-competitive practices in the industrial ice cream sector. This decision, reached on April 22, 2026, is the beginning of a formal inquiry to determine if the companies violated Articles 4 and 6 of the Act on the Protection of Competition, which govern restrictive agreements and the abuse of dominant market positions. The Board also expressed concerns that the firms failed to comply with previous regulatory measures established in a 2021 decision.
As part of the proceedings, the Competition Board has issued a series of strict interim mandates regarding retail sales space. In shops with a closed sales area of 100 square meters or less where only Unilever-owned freezers are available, the companies must now allocate 30% of each freezer’s total volume specifically for competing products. This space must be organized as a single block and clearly labeled to inform consumers and retailers that the area is reserved for rival brands.
The ruling further specifies that Unilever and Magnum products are strictly prohibited from being placed within these designated areas. If a sales point does not currently stock any competing products, the reserved 30% of the freezer must remain empty rather than being filled with the companies’ own stock. To further support market diversity, the Board has stipulated that this mandatory allocation can be increased from 30% up to 50% of the freezer volume upon the specific request of the retailer. These measures must be implemented within one month of the formal notification of the reasoned decision.
