NEWSLETTER-2020-metin

130 NEWSLETTER 2020 consumption fell unexpectedly to the lowest level of the year due to declining economic activities 3 . This led to a serious drop in whole- sale electricity prices, reducing the profitability of power generation companies. The Ministry of Industry and Technology held a meeting concerning cologne, which came to the fore during the epidemic, and announced that the producers are committed to not increasing their prices 4 . Various precautions have been taken due to the price increases experienced due to the epidemic. In this context, apart from the Min- istry of Commerce, it was also observed that the Ministry of Treasury and Finance also took action, and some companies were punished for excessive prices 5 . One of the most important measures taken has been the amend- ments introduced to Law No. 6585 on the Regulation of Retail Trade 6 . The notions, such as “excessive prices,” “stockpiling,” and “unfair price assessment board,” added to the said Law, the principle of investigating the high price increases and, upon complaints, ac- tions were taken concerning matters such as stocking, by the “unfair price assessment board.” With the “Unfair Price Assessment Board Regulation,” 7 issued following this amendment, the aforementioned Board, the operating principles of which were arranged in detail, be- gan to function. Thus, as in many parts of the world, in Turkey, the government has responded sensitively to price increases, and has taken emergency 3 https://www.dunya.com/gundem/gunluk-elektrik-tuketiminde-yilin-en-dusuk- seviyesi-goruldu-haberi-465662 (Access date: 09.06.2020). 4 https://www.sanayi.gov.tr/medya/duyurular/60d200320t1 (Access date: 09.06. 2020). 5 https://www.tv100.com/maliye-bakanligindan-fahis-fiyatli-satislar-icin-ihbar- hatti-haber-487881 (Access date: 9.06.2020); https://www.ekonomist.com . tr/haberler/bakanliktan-virus-firsatcilarina-karsi-onlem.html (Access date: 9.06.2020); https://www.gib.gov.tr/koronavirus-nedeniyle-piyasalardaki-haksiz- fiyat-artisina-iliskin-sikayet-hatti (Access date: 09.06. 2020). 6 For Law No. 7224, which includes the said amendments, see Official Gazette dated 17.04.2020 and numbered 31102. 7 For detailed information, see Official Gazette dated 28.05.2020 and numbered 31138.