In meetings in Ankara on 18 June, a high-level delegation from the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) called on Türkiye to fully implement GRECO's recommendations on preventing corruption and strengthening integrity among members of parliament, the judiciary and the prosecution service.
The visit was an opportunity to discuss the legislative and policy changes recommended by GRECO and followed GRECO's decision in June 2023 that Türkiye had not demonstrated sufficient progress in implementing recommendations addressed to the country under GRECO's Fourth Evaluation Round.
The delegation met with Yılmaz Tunç, Minister of Justice; Hurşit Yildirim, Deputy Minister of Justice; Adem Albayrak, First Vice President of the Court of Cassation; Turan Kuloğlu, President of the First Chamber of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors; Seyfi Han, member of the Second Chamber of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors; Bekir Bozdağ, Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly; as well as other senior officials, including Ahmet Ulutaş, Head of the Delegation of Türkiye to GRECO.
The GRECO delegation noted the information provided during the visit, welcomed the commitment expressed at the highest level regarding implementation of GRECO's recommendations and underlined that it looks forward to swift action by Türkiye in this regard.
More than nine years after the adoption of GRECO's Fourth Round Evaluation Report on Türkiye, only three out of 22 recommendations contained in the report have been implemented in full.
With regard to members of the Grand National Assembly, the delegation expressed concern that none of GRECO's seven recommendations concerning members of parliament have been implemented fully. While some steps had been initiated shortly after the adoption of the evaluation report, no substantive information has been provided since 2018 on any measures taken or foreseen to further implement the recommendations. GRECO therefore urged the Grand National Assembly to take prompt and determined action to strengthen parliamentary integrity, focusing on transparency of the legislative process, adopting a code of conduct, managing conflicts of interest, verifying asset declarations, narrowing parliamentary immunity, and ensuring confidential counselling and training on integrity matters.
Regarding the judiciary and prosecution service, the delegation noted a number of positive developments, including the adoption of a Declaration on Judicial Ethics, training of judges and prosecutors, the introduction of a judicial oath to adhere to principles of independence and impartiality and of confidential counselling on integrity matters, as well as of the possibility to appeal disciplinary dismissal decisions. Plans for a new law on the Justice Academy and a guide on judicial ethics were also noted.
The GRECO delegation emphasised the importance of making tangible progress in implementing the outstanding recommendations, given their implications for several key aspects of judicial governance, such as strengthening the independence of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, ensuring security of tenure for judicial office-holders, abolishing certain powers of the Ministry of Justice as regards selecting and recruiting future judges and prosecutors, temporary assignments, and disciplinary proceedings, as well as lifting their functional immunity.
GRECO will next review the measures taken by the Turkish authorities to implement its Fourth Round recommendations and their effectiveness in March 2026.
The delegation was comprised of GRECO's President, David Meyer, the Council of Europe's Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Hanne Juncher, GRECO Vice-President and Head of Portugal's Delegation to GRECO, António Delicado, and Head of Azerbaijan's Delegation to GRECO, Elnur Musayev, as well as GRECO Executive Secretary Livia Stoica Becht and David Dolidze, Senior Legal Adviser in the GRECO Secretariat.
