Publication: ONLINE PLATFORMLARIN ACENTELİK NİTELİĞİ VE BU PLATFORMLAR ÖZELİNDE TÜRK TİCARET KANUNU'NUN ACENTELİĞE İLİŞKİN HÜKÜMLERİNİN UYGULANMASI
Abstract
Elektronik ticaretin hızlı gelişimine paralel olarak, online platformların belirli bir ücret karşılığında tedarikçilere ürünlerinin satışını gerçekleştirebileceği bir dijital ortam sunduğu platform sağlama sözleşmeleri de yaygınlık kazanmıştır. Sürekli nitelikteki bu sözleşmeler kapsamında, bağımsız bir teşebbüs olan online platformun tedarikçi ile müşteriler arasında sözleşme kurulmasına aracılık ettiği dikkate alındığında, bu platformların genel olarak TTK m. 102/1'de tanımlanan acentenin unsurlarını taşıdığı söylenebilir. Ne var ki, geleneksel acentelik ilişkisinden ekonomik doğası itibariyle farklılaşan platform sağlama sözleşmelerine, geleneksel acentelik ilişkisi dikkate alınarak hazırlanmış olan TTK'nin acentelik hükümlerinin uygulanmasının yerindeliği tartışmalıdır. Bu bağlamda, bu makaleyle; online platform sağlama sözleşmelerinin ekonomik mahiyeti incelenerek bunların acentelik sözleşmesi niteliğinin ve TTK'nın acentelik hükümlerinin bu sözleşmelere uygulanmasının yarattığı hukuki problemlerin ortaya konulması ve olası çözüm önerilerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır.
Parallel to the rapid development of electronic commerce, online platform provision agreements, under which an online platform offers suppliers a digital platform where the latter may sell their products to customers, in consideration for the payment of a fee, have also become a widespread phenomenon. Given that, under such agreements having continuous nature, online platforms act autonomously as an intermediary between the supplier and the customer for the conclusion of an agreement between them, such platforms may generally be regarded as commercial agents within the meaning of article 102 (1) of the Turkish Commercial Code ("TCC"). On the other hand, it is controversial whether the provisions of the TCC governing commercial agency, which are drafted based on traditional commercial agency, should also apply to platform provision agreements which have different economic nature than traditional commercial agency agreements. In this regard, this article aims to explore the economic nature of online platform provision agreements and their qualification as a commercial agency agreement and legal problems arising from the application of the commercial agency provisions of the TCC to such agreements, and assess possible solutions for these problems.
Parallel to the rapid development of electronic commerce, online platform provision agreements, under which an online platform offers suppliers a digital platform where the latter may sell their products to customers, in consideration for the payment of a fee, have also become a widespread phenomenon. Given that, under such agreements having continuous nature, online platforms act autonomously as an intermediary between the supplier and the customer for the conclusion of an agreement between them, such platforms may generally be regarded as commercial agents within the meaning of article 102 (1) of the Turkish Commercial Code ("TCC"). On the other hand, it is controversial whether the provisions of the TCC governing commercial agency, which are drafted based on traditional commercial agency, should also apply to platform provision agreements which have different economic nature than traditional commercial agency agreements. In this regard, this article aims to explore the economic nature of online platform provision agreements and their qualification as a commercial agency agreement and legal problems arising from the application of the commercial agency provisions of the TCC to such agreements, and assess possible solutions for these problems.