Platform Dependency Risk for SMEs A Structural Assessment of Turkish SMEs' Strategic Dependency on Digital Platforms
— Abstract
This policy report examines the strategic dependency of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Türkiye on digital platforms from a structural perspective. The study develops a three-dimensional analytical framework covering revenue dependency, sales channel dependency, and customer access dependency. Empirical evidence drawn from the Turkish SME ecosystem reveals that dependency on e-commerce marketplaces, food delivery applications, social media advertising, and B2B intermediary platforms constitutes a strategic vulnerability. The report evaluates the cumulative effects of mechanisms such as commission structures, unilateral contract amendments, algorithmic visibility management, and customer data control on SMEs. Based on these findings, the report proposes a six-axis policy framework encompassing ex-ante regulation, minimum contractual standards, mandatory data portability, and SME-protective competition policy instruments.
Key Findings
- 68% of Turkish SMEs are strategically dependent on at least one digital platform
- Revenue, sales channel, and customer access dependencies form three mutually reinforcing structural mechanisms
- Unilateral commission and contract changes erode SME profit margins by an average of 12-18%
- Absence of data portability disproportionately increases SME platform-switching costs
- Ex-ante regulatory framework is essential for digital markets where ex-post competition enforcement falls short
— Contents
- 01 Executive Summary
- 02 Introduction: SMEs in the Platform Economy
- 03 Conceptual Framework: Three-Dimensional Dependency Model
- 04 Structural Analysis of SME-Platform Relations in Türkiye
- 05 Dependency Mechanisms and Strategic Risk Map
- 06 International Comparison: EU, US, and UK Regulatory Approaches
- 07 Policy Recommendations: A Six-Axis Framework
- 08 Conclusion and Further Research Agenda
- — References
For the full text, download the PDF or view on Zenodo.
— Cite This Publication
This policy report is published under open access. Please use one of the following citation formats.
Papatya, N., & Papatya, İ. K. (2026). Platform Dependency Risk for SMEs: A Structural Assessment of Turkish SMEs' Strategic Dependency on Digital Platforms (Policy Report No. 01/2026; Version 1.0). EHPAGM — Ekosistem Hakimiyeti Politikaları Araştırma ve Geliştirme Merkezi. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20318653
Papatya, Nurhan, and İlbey Kutluhan Papatya. "Platform Dependency Risk for SMEs: A Structural Assessment of Turkish SMEs' Strategic Dependency on Digital Platforms." EHPAGM, May 2026, doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20318653.
Papatya, Nurhan, and İlbey Kutluhan Papatya. 2026. "Platform Dependency Risk for SMEs: A Structural Assessment of Turkish SMEs' Strategic Dependency on Digital Platforms." EHPAGM Policy Report 01/2026, Version 1.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20318653.
@techreport{papatya202601,
author = {Papatya, Nurhan and Papatya, İlbey Kutluhan},
title = {Platform Dependency Risk for SMEs: A Structural Assessment of Turkish SMEs' Strategic Dependency on Digital Platforms},
institution = {EHPAGM — Ekosistem Hakimiyeti Politikaları Araştırma ve Geliştirme Merkezi},
type = {Policy Report},
number = {01/2026},
year = {2026},
month = {May},
version = {1.0},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20318653},
url = {https://zenodo.org/records/20318653},
language = {tr}
}