The Great Turkish Rip-off

By Robert Ellis, September 22 2008

Corruption in Turkey is endemic, stretching back to the Ottoman empire in the sixteenth century, but it was not until the liberalization of the Turkish economy in the 1980’s under Turgut Özal it took on a new dimension. Özal’s remark, “My civil servants know how to take care of business”, has become apocryphal, but there was a lift-off in the 1990’s.

Tansu Ciller, who became Turkey’s first female prime minister in 1993, bowed out in style three years later, when she issued an order for the release of 500 billion Turkish lira ($6.5 million) from the state slush fund for “secret service expenses”, and a convoy of lorries travelled round Ankara at the dead of night to collect the cash from various banks. A parliamentary majority later acquitted her of any wrongdoing.

Bertolt Brecht’s conclusion, “Robbing a bank’s no crime compared to owning one”, took on a new take in Turkey under Mesut Yilmaz, who became premier three times from 1991 to 1999. With the right political support it was possible to open a bank and siphon off the liquidity, but with the financial crisis of 2001 21 banks were taken into receivership with a cost to the state of $60 billion.

The Great Turkish Rip-off | EuropeNews.