Türkiye’s Competition Board fined an Istanbul-based French high school 5.47 million Turkish Liras for illegally fixing registration fees and local teachers’ salaries with competitor institutions.
The board ruled that Private Saint Benoit French High School violated competition laws. It imposed 3.28 million liras for determining enrollment costs alongside rivals and 2.19 million liras for jointly setting educators’ pay.
Istanbul hosts several historic foreign schools established during the Ottoman Empire. Operating as sought-after private institutions today, their tuition fees fall under strict state oversight.
The penalty follows a legal process triggering a recalculation. The board initially investigated after conducting on-site inspections at five French high schools. Saint Benoit sued to cancel an April 24, 2024 board decision. The Ankara 19th Administrative Court rejected the case on Sept. 17, 2025, while the eighth chamber of the Ankara Regional Administrative Court overturned the fines on April 1, 2026.
The appeals court upheld the violation findings but ordered a penalty recalculation to check if a recent legislative amendment favored the school. Complying with the order, the board reopened the file on April 22, 2026. The final ruling confirmed that Private Saint-Joseph, Private Saint Benoît, Private Notre-Dame de Sion, Private Saint-Michel and Private Sainte Pulchérie colluded to fix fees and salaries.
