Regulation of Natural Monopoly: The Turkish Electricity Market

Abstract

This study examines the situations that arise when regulating a natural monopoly market by focusing on Türkiye’s electricity market. Specifically, this qualitative study investigates the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) in terms of capture theory, drawing on various documentary sources, such as electricity sector regulation legislation (constitutions, sector laws, decree-laws, Plan and Budgeting Committee documents of The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye), EMRA official decisions, newspaper reports from 2001 to 2021, and media interviews. The empirical findings discussed throughout the article reveal numerous instances consistent with the capture theory.