Facts
Meta integrated its own assistant, Meta AI, into WhatsApp. The Turkish Competition Board ran a preliminary inquiry into whether the Meta group had infringed Article 6 of Law No. 4054. The inquiry produced evidence suggesting that third-party general-purpose generative AI chatbots and assistants had been prevented from offering their AI services through WhatsApp as a primary service. At its meeting of 14 May 2026 the Board opened a full investigation by decision 26-18/536-M and, at the same meeting, ordered interim measures. The decision was announced on 5 June 2026.
Question
Can a messaging platform that builds its own AI assistant into the service, while blocking rival AI providers from offering their services on the same platform, be abusing a dominant position under Article 6? The more immediate question was whether there was serious evidence of an infringement and a risk of irreparable harm sufficient to justify interim measures under Article 9(4) before a final decision.
Decision
The Board considered that the evidence gathered in the preliminary inquiry amounted to serious indications of an infringement of Article 6. To prevent irreparable harm, it ordered Meta, pending a final decision, to put in place conditions that allow third-party general-purpose generative AI chatbots and assistants to offer their AI services through WhatsApp as a primary service, without making this practically or economically difficult. If Meta fails to comply within one month of service of the reasoned interim decision, an administrative fine will be imposed under Article 17. The investigation continues.
Why it matters
The Board treats a widely used messaging app as a distribution channel for generative AI assistants and intervenes before any final finding of infringement. The interim measure is aimed at preventing early access barriers in AI markets from becoming entrenched. Dominance and abuse remain to be decided in the final decision.