OECD Warns Turkey on Bribery Enforcement Framework - March 2019

OECD: Turkey’s foreign bribery enforcement framework needs to be urgently strengthened and corporate liability legislation reformed

On 14 March 2019, OECD announced that in view of Turkey’s continued failure to implement key aspects of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and to enforce its foreign bribery laws, the Working Group on Bribery will send a high-level mission to Ankara in 2020, unless Turkey takes concrete action by October 2019.

This decision is due to the fact that Turkey has still not enacted legislation to address long-standing recommendations notably to reform its laws on liability of legal persons for the bribery of foreign public officials.

OECD stated that the Working Group also remains seriously concerned about Turkey’s low level of foreign bribery enforcement. Despite the size of the country’s economy and its geopolitical importance, there has not been one foreign bribery conviction in the 16 years since the entry into force of the Convention in Turkey. In addition, the Working Group is highly concerned that foreign bribery investigations and prosecutions may be influenced by considerations of national economic interest, the potential effect upon relations with another State or the identity of the natural or legal persons involved.

It is stated that despite the Working Group recommendations made in October 2014 in the context of Turkey’s evaluations under the Anti-Bribery Convention, and repeated calls for action ever since, Turkey has not taken steps to address these deficiencies. For this reason, Turkey is invited to report back in writing to the Working Group in October 2019 regarding concrete action to address the above-mentioned issues.

Source: OECD website