The Turkish Competition Authority has conducted an on-site inspection at the Turkish office of Chinese e-commerce platform Temu, saying the move was part of a routine preliminary review and did not amount to the launch of a formal investigation, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
In a statement on Wednesday the board said the review was being conducted under standard procedures and warned against interpreting the inspection as the opening of an official probe.
“The ongoing review reflected in the media is being carried out within the scope of our routine procedures, and the initiation of this process should not be interpreted as a transition to the investigation stage,” the authority said.
Reports earlier on Wednesday claimed that computers had been seized during the inspection. The Competition Authority denied those claims, saying no computers or digital equipment had been confiscated.
A spokesperson for Temu, however, told Reuters that competition officials had visited the company’s office early Wednesday and that laptops and computers were taken. The spokesperson said Temu would “fully cooperate with the Turkish authorities.”
Responding to Reuters’ questions, the Competition Authority said it could not share further details at this stage to ensure the integrity of the review and protect the rights of all parties involved. It said updates would be provided as the process progresses.
Temu, owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, sells a wide range of products globally at low prices, from clothing to electronics. The inspection in Turkey comes amid increased scrutiny of the company’s operations in Europe.
European Union regulators recently carried out a raid at Temu’s European headquarters in Dublin as part of a separate inquiry into concerns over potential unfair state subsidies, according to earlier reports.
The Competition Authority said the current process concerning Temu in Turkey remains a preliminary examination and not a formal investigation.