ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek said Wednesday that corruption crimes were considered as cross-border crimes just like terrorism crimes in the new world order, and he called for international cooperation to fight corruption across the world.
Turkey has taken legal steps to combat corruption but has yet to successfully execute them, Çiçek said at the International Conference on Anti-Corruption Measures in Turkey and Around the Globe in Ankara.
“If we are to seriously combat corruption, then everyone has a responsibility, from the ordinary citizen to the highest ranking official,” Çiçek said. “Corruption appears in international agreements as part of labor laws. But what matters more than entering such contracts is bringing it to life,” said Çiçek, pointing out that Turkey has signed European Union agreements but has yet to successfully implement and execute them.
“Corruption cases that cause troubles for a country are cross-border corruption crimes and some countries have bad reputation about it,” Çiçek said.
The meeting’s main goal is to share knowledge and experiences on recent developments on anti-corruption and raise awareness within the public of the recently introduced national anti-corruption strategy in Turkey.
The conference is to be considered the first step and the launching event of United Nations Development Program, or UNDP, Turkey and the Turkish government’s “Support of Effective Implementation of National Anti-Corruption Strategy in Turkey” project, which is expected to prepare the ground for a long-term partnership in the design and implementation of effective anti-corruption activities.
As a “cross-border crime,” solving problems of corruption requires international cooperation, said Çiçek.
“It is not a subject that disappears. Even if the problem is overcome, it is an open-ended success as it requires continuous tracking,” said the deputy prime minister.
“When the government has so many resources available, of course there will be those who want to unlawfully take advantage of them,” said Çiçek. “This contributes to poverty, since a large part of the resources reserved for the poor is lost to corruption.”
UNDP Resident Representative Shahid Najam, who noted that the conference was the first of its kind in Turkey, said his organization was working together with the Prime Ministry to create the appropriate environment to combat corruption in Turkey.
Corruption prevents many countries from developing and preventing corruption will end injustice, he said.
Najam echoed Çiçek’s statements, saying civil society, media and citizens play an important role in creating and executing a national strategy against corruption.
Drago Kos, chairman of the European Council Group of States against Corruption, gave his speech via video.
The Prime Ministry Inspection Board, UNDP Turkey and the UNDP Bratislava Regional Center jointly organized the conference, which is running Wednesday and Thursday.