The Turkish Competition Authority carried out an early-morning raid on online retailer Temu’s Istanbul office on Wednesday (21 January), the regulator and a company spokesperson said, as scrutiny of the Chinese-owned platform’s business model intensifies.
The authority said it conducted an “on-site inspection” at Temu’s Istanbul office but stressed that this did not mean a formal investigation had been launched.
According to a Temu spokesperson, the company will “cooperate fully with the Turkish authorities”, although the reason for the raid was not specified. The spokesperson also said devices, such as laptops and computers, had been taken from the office.
The Turkish Competition Authority denied Temu’s claim that these items were seized during the inspection, saying the statement “does not reflect the truth.”
“In order to ensure that the examination currently under way can proceed properly … it is not possible at this stage to share further information,” the competition authority added.
Temu had registered a local entity in Türkiye last year and opened an office in Istanbul soon after.
The move follows a raid on Temu’s European headquarters in Dublin in December 2025, which formed part of a broader probe into potential unfair Chinese state subsidies.
Owned by Chinese e-commerce group PDD Holdings, Temu sells a wide range of low-cost Chinese goods, from clothing to smartphones, to consumers worldwide, promoting itself with the slogan “Shop like a billionaire”.
Like its competitor Shein, the platform ships products directly from China, benefiting in many markets from duty-free thresholds on low-value parcels.
The rapid expansion of cut-price Chinese e-commerce platforms has triggered a backlash from European retailers, who argue the companies enjoy an unfair competitive advantage. The European Union has agreed to abolish its duty-free allowance on parcels valued under 150 euros.
Türkiye has also moved to tighten controls. Earlier this month, the government scrapped its 30-euro duty-free allowance, citing the need to protect local production and competition, as well as concerns over the health and safety of imported e-commerce goods. The new rules are due to take effect in early February 2026.
World’s biggest phygital sporting event, the Games of the Future 2026, has officially begun in Astana, Kazakhstan, running from 29 July to 9 August....
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have elevated their bilateral relationship to the level of an alliance after Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Sadyr Japarov...
The European Union has released €3.47 billion ($4 billion) to Ukraine to help finance the purchase of drones, missiles, air defence systems and Swed...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have elevated their bilateral relationship to the level of an alliance after Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Sadyr Japarov signed a Treaty on Allied Relations during high-level talks in the Kyrgyz resort city of Cholpon-Ata.
Nauru has ended its diplomatic relations with Georgia's occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia's Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government will resign on 2 August after the country’s newly elected parliament convenes, paving the way for the formation of a new cabinet following his party’s election victory.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that a failure to quickly resolve restrictions on Armenian exports could mark “the beginning of the end” of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment