Turkey’s Competition Board (Rekabet Kurumu) has launched an investigation into Teva Pharmaceutical for alleged practices that the regulator says “may have been aimed at making it more difficult for competitors to enter the market.” The probe targets conduct described by Rekabet Kurumu as manipulation of the patent system and the dissemination of misleading statements to health care authorities about rival medicines. The regulator disclosed the decision on its website after launching the inquiry earlier in the month.
A Teva spokesperson told STAT that the Turkish investigation is similar to a previous probe by the European Commission. That European Commission investigation concluded two years earlier with Teva paying a $503 million fine related to delaying competition to its Copaxone multiple sclerosis medicine. STAT’s report notes that the European Commission case is currently under appeal before the European Court. The STAT article cites Teva’s comment but does not provide further detail from the company about the Turkish inquiry.
Rekabet Kurumu said the company engaged in “various practices … that may have been aimed at making it more difficult for competitors to enter the market.” The regulator’s public statement, referenced in the STAT piece, did not name a specific drug or list detailed factual allegations in the material provided in the source article. STAT linked to the Rekabet Kurumu announcement for readers seeking the regulator’s public notice.
The STAT story reporting the Turkish probe was published on Aug. 25, 2026, in the Pharmalot column by Ed Silverman. According to the article, Rekabet Kurumu launched the probe earlier in the month and disclosed the decision on its website last Friday (relative to the article date). The STAT piece is presented as a STAT+ article, and the publicly available portion summarized the regulator’s disclosure and Teva’s brief response referencing the earlier European Commission matter.
The source article does not provide several potentially relevant details. Specifically, the STAT text did not report the identity of any specific drug subject to the Turkish inquiry; it did not specify the precise nature or timing of the allegedly misleading statements to health authorities; it did not describe the evidence the regulator cited; and it did not report any enforcement timeline, potential penalties, or Teva’s more detailed rebuttal or defense. The article also does not present comments from other stakeholders, such as competing manufacturers, health authorities in Turkey, or independent legal or regulatory analysts. Those details were not reported in the source.
The STAT piece frames the Turkish action in the context of national antitrust authorities becoming more active in scrutinizing global drugmakers, and it draws a comparison to a recent European Commission enforcement action involving Teva and its Copaxone multiple sclerosis product. Beyond noting the European Commission fine amount and that the case is on appeal, the article does not elaborate further on broader enforcement trends, other named cases, or the potential implications for market access and competition in Turkey or elsewhere.
STAT’s article links to the Rekabet Kurumu announcement on the regulator’s website as the public source for the Turkish disclosure. The STAT story itself contains the summarized regulator language and Teva’s brief comment; the source indicates that fuller coverage appeared behind the STAT+ paywall.
Rekabet Kurumu has opened an antitrust investigation into Teva, alleging practices to hinder competitors through patent-related strategies and misleading communications to authorities. Teva characterized the Turkish probe as similar to an earlier European case in which it was fined $503 million; that European matter remains under appeal. The STAT article reports the regulator’s public statement but does not provide detailed allegations, affected products, evidentiary citations, or anticipated next steps—those details were not reported in the source.