In the recently published 2022 report by the European Group Against Corruption (GRECO), operating under the Council of Europe (CoE), Turkey joins the ranks of 10 out of 48 countries that failed to meet the recommended anti-corruption standards.
According to the report, Turkey’s deficiencies in combating corruption among parliamentarians, judges, and prosecutors are evident. In 2022, Turkey fulfilled only 9.7 percent of the 31 recommendations, partially implemented 38.7 percent, and failed to meet 51.6 percent. This data indicates no progress compared to the previous year. Notably, the rate of non-compliance with recommendations for Members of Parliament remained unchanged at 57 percent.
Concerns extend to the judiciary, as Turkey only fulfilled 16.7 percent of the recommendations for judges, partially complied with 33.3 percent, and failed to comply with 50 percent.
Turkey finds itself among several countries that also struggle in the fight against corruption. Armenia, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Denmark, Luxembourg, Malta, and Moldova were among the 10 countries with the lowest scores according to GRECO’s ranking.
GRECO has consistently emphasised the urgent need for structural reforms in Turkey to protect the independence of judges and magistrates. The report criticises Turkey for its failure to take concrete measures to prevent corruption within the parliamentary and judicial systems. Ultimately, GRECO’s report concludes that the overall anti-corruption situation in Turkey remains unsatisfactory.
