Staff profile

Ahmed Saim Pehlivanlı is a PhD researcher in Law at Durham University. He holds an LL.M. degree in International Commercial Law from City, University of London (distinction). His research focuses on the objectives of EU competition law in the digital economy, where he examines alternative approaches to the consumer welfare standard. His thesis challenges rigid goal-based interpretations and advances the case for more flexible frameworks that integrate fairness considerations, drawing in part on the interpretative approaches developed under regulatory instruments such as the Digital Markets Act. In addition to substantive objectives, he also engages with the procedural dimensions of competition law, with a particular interest in dawn raids and procedural safeguards. His broader academic work considers the intersection of competition law with other fields, most notably intellectual property law.

He has articles published and under peer review in the fields of competition law, intellectual property law, and regulation. His recent publication, “Türkiye’s New Administrative Trademark Revocation for Non-Use: EU Alignment and Procedural Divergence”, appeared in the Oxford Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice. He currently has two articles under peer review: one examining digital evidence deletion cases in Türkiye and the EU through a Strasbourg perspective with a proposed proportionality test, and another offering a comparative analysis of competition law approaches to regulating the digital economy across the EU, Türkiye, and the UK.

Outside his academic work, he is a member of the Ankara Bar Association and is admitted to practice law in Türkiye, with a primary focus on competition and commercial law. This professional background complements and informs his academic research.

Current Research

Ahmed Saim’s doctoral research explores how the control of the digital economy can be understood in relation to the objectives of EU competition law. His thesis critiques the consumer welfare standard and advances a framework that prioritises fairness considerations, proposing a system capable of extending beyond both the digital economy and existing regulatory models such as the Digital Markets Act, while remaining grounded in competition law.

• Abuse of a dominant position and mergers in digital economy
• Competition law (EU/UK/TURKEY)
• Competition law goals and policy
• The mutual relationship between competition law and digital economy
• US antitrust law