ANKARA, 30 March 2017: A Turkish commercial court has ordered the blocking of travel website Booking.com, Wednesday, over alleged unfair competition its hotel and flight reservations platform may pose to local firms.
Legal action was initiated by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies known as Tursab.
“The decision has been taken to halt the unfair competition activities of Booking.com in a case brought by Tursab,” the association said in a statement on its website.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Tursab said Turkey’s competition authority had fined the Dutch-based internet operator, 2.5 million Turkish pounds (some USD700,000).
Founded in 1996 the online travel agency became a subsidiary of the US Priceline Group in 2005.
The Hurriyet daily quoted Tursab secretary general Cetin Gurcun as saying anybody who had already made reservations on the site would not be penalised.
© Agence France-Presse
