The Turkish Competition Board has initiated an investigation into Apple, focusing on the tech giant's contracts with application developers and its restrictions on alternative payment systems within the App Store.

The probe comes as part of a broader review of the country’s mobile smart devices sector and its associated software.

Concerns have arisen regarding Apple's potential limitations on consumer access to lower-priced options due to the company's ban on informing users about alternative payment channels outside the application.

The investigation will also examine whether Apple's requirement for developers to use its own payment system, coupled with the prevention of links to external payment channels, stifles competition and restricts the freedom of choice for application developers.

The probe will delve into Apple's mandatory use of its in-app purchase system (IAP) for digital content sales, which entitles the company to a 30 per cent commission on transactions. The Competition Board said that it aims to determine whether this practice hinders the entry of other payment systems into the Apple ecosystem.

Specifically, the investigation seeks to ascertain whether Apple's practices violate Article 6 of the Law on the Protection of Competition No. 4054 which prevents the abuse of dominance by the firms dominant in relevant markets.

---