The number of countries that approved the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft increased to 40, Turkey was added to them.
Activision Blizzard Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Affairs Executive Lulu Cheng Meservey announced on Twitter that the Turkish Antitrust Authority (Rekabet Kurumu) has made the decision to unconditionally approve the acquisition.
Another country has come up with a smart solution that protects consumers and competition, not the entrenched dominance of the market leader
This comes after the US FTC was defeated in federal court by Microsoft and Activision in its disagreement with the case, and the regulator filed an appeal against the decision (drawing sharp criticism from congressmen during a hearing yesterday).
On the other side of two oceans, Microsoft and CMA have put their litigation on hold to possibly negotiate an amicable end to UK regulator opposition to the deal. Elsewhere, most regulators have favored the acquisition, including recent decisions from the European Union, China, South Korea, and South Africa, with a total of 39 countries having approved the deal. New Zealand has expressed doubts about the deal, and Canada expressed its disapproval in a letter, but neither country has yet taken formal action to block the acquisition.
