Defne Çeler

Defne advises clients on all aspects of competition law, with a particular focus on investigations, merger control, and compliance. She regularly represents companies before the Turkish Competition Board in both preliminary and full-scale investigations, assisting with defenses, responses to information requests, and on-site inspections.

Her experience spans vertical and horizontal agreements, pricing practices, distribution models, individual exemption applications, as well as settlement and commitment procedures. She has worked across a wide range of industries, including cosmetics, electronics, energy, FMCG, and pharmaceuticals.

Defne has handled numerous merger filings before the Turkish Competition Authority and contributed to cross-border projects involving multiple jurisdictions. In these matters, she supports clients with risk assessments and procedural management, ensuring filings are accurate, timely, and strategically positioned.

She also develops compliance programs, drafts operational policies, and delivers tailored training sessions—including mock dawn raids—designed around sector-specific risks and client needs.

Defne holds an LL.B. from Koç University, was admitted to the Istanbul Bar Association in 2022, and is fluent in English.