Oecd: Turkey Must Act To Limit Foreign Trade Bribery

Turkey must make a greater effort to restrict bribery in foreign trade, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said Thursday. 



Citing a report that showed only four OECD nations were effectively enforcing anti-bribery regulations, the organization said that Turkey has been "insufficiently pro-active" in this area, the organization said in a statement on its website.



Only ten cases of bribery in foreign trade have come before Turkish courts since the offense was criminalized by Turkey in 2003. The small number suggests that the law is not being efficiently enforced in Turkey, the organization said.



But the organization praised Turkey has improved the legal framework for its foreign bribery offense and has effectively cooperated in two foreign bribery investigations conducted by other countries. In addition, it stated that Turkey's tax administration is well-placed to detect bribery abroad, and said the country had also significantly increased its awareness-raising activities among judges and prosecutors.  



 The organization called for proactive detection and investigation of foreign bribery allegations, preservation of the independence of prosecutors, and reinforced protection of whistleblowers in both the public and private sectors as critical steps in the fight against foreign bribery.



The organization requested Turkey to report back on key recommendations within one year. 



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