Dentons Europe has strengthened its Istanbul presence with a new competition team from ACTECON, a Turkish consultancy business.

The firm has appointed Åžahin Ard?yok as a Partner to its Competition practice. He is joined by a team of five lawyers and three economists. They will operate from Dentons' local partnership firm Balcio?lu Selçuk Akman Keki (BASEAK).

Ard?yok is widely regarded as one of Turkey's leading competition lawyers. He is known in the market for his business-orientated approach and experience working on challenging mergers and complex competition investigations in front of the Turkish Competition Authority. He represents the Turkish Republic at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Competition Commission and is a leading author on antitrust litigation in the country.

Ard?yok is also highly regarded for his expertise in PPP projects and regulation enforcement activities, particularly in the energy, telecommunications and life sciences sectors. He was one of the leading lawyers on Turkey's first PPP projects in the healthcare and education industries. He additionally teaches economic regulation, telecommunications and energy law at the University of Istanbul, and frequently publishes articles on these industries.

Dariusz Oleszczuk, Chief Executive Officer of Dentons Europe, said:

"I am delighted to welcome Åžahin and his team to Dentons. As Turkey's economy continues to grow, Istanbul is steadily becoming the pivotal location for firms doing business in the country and for those investing in the Middle East and the CIS countries. This growth is creating huge opportunities for the future, and with Åžahin and his team on board, we now have one of the leading competition practices in Turkey to take advantage of these positive prospects. The team's arrival marks a significant step forward in our long-term strategic plans to become the leading international law firm in Turkey and I am confident they will be able to build on our success in this market for years to come."