Officials from Türkiye’s competition authority conducted an unannounced inspection at the local offices of the online retail platform Temu early Wednesday morning. The move marks a deepening of regulatory scrutiny into the Chinese-owned e-commerce giant’s operations within the country.
A spokesperson for Temu confirmed the inspection to Reuters, noting that authorities seized several electronic devices, including laptops and desktop computers, for further review. “We are working in full cooperation with the Turkish authorities throughout this process,” the spokesperson stated.
Temu, which is owned by PDD Holdings, has grown rapidly in Türkiye by offering a vast range of consumer goods at significantly low prices. However, this growth has coincided with a tightening of local e-commerce laws. In 2025, Türkiye introduced new regulations requiring international platforms to appoint local legal representatives and adhere to stricter product safety and consumer protection standards.
The inspection in Istanbul follows similar enforcement actions taken elsewhere. Late last year, European Union regulators raided Temu’s regional headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. That investigation centered on whether the platform benefited from unfair foreign subsidies and if its business model complied with the EU’s Digital Services Act regarding the sale of non-compliant products.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Türkiye competition authority has not released an official statement regarding the specific scope of the investigation or any potential charges.
