A high-level delegation from the Council of Europe’s (CoE) anti-corruption watchdog GRECO on Thursday called on Turkey to take urgent steps to implement long-standing recommendations aimed at curbing corruption and strengthening integrity in its parliament, judiciary and prosecution service, Turkish Minute reported.
The call came during meetings held in Ankara on Thursday with senior Turkish officials, including Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, Deputy Minister Hurşit Yıldırım, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Bekir Bozdağ and top members of the judiciary and the Council of Judges and Prosecutors.
The visit followed GRECO’s 2023 decision that Turkey had made insufficient progress in addressing concerns outlined in its Fourth Evaluation Round. According to GRECO, Turkey has fully implemented only three out of 22 recommendations issued more than nine years ago.
The delegation, led by GRECO President David Meyer, welcomed expressions of political commitment from Turkish authorities but stressed the need for “swift action,” particularly on parliamentary reforms. “We look forward to tangible steps being taken without further delay,” the delegation said in a statement.
None of GRECO’s seven recommendations concerning members of parliament have been fully implemented, the group noted. These include reforms to improve legislative transparency, introduce a parliamentary code of conduct, manage conflicts of interest, enforce asset declaration rules, narrow parliamentary immunity and provide confidential ethics training.
GRECO said no meaningful progress has been reported since 2018 on any of these fronts, urging parliament to take “prompt and determined action.”
The delegation acknowledged some progress within the judiciary and prosecution service, including the adoption of a Declaration on Judicial Ethics, new training programs and limited reforms to disciplinary procedures. It also noted planned changes such as a new law on the Justice Academy and a guide on judicial ethics.
However, the group said critical areas remain unaddressed, including judicial independence, tenure security and reducing the Ministry of Justice’s role in the selection, appointment and discipline of judges and prosecutors.
GRECO, the Group of States against Corruption, monitors compliance with anti-corruption standards across the 48 member states of the CoE. It will next assess Turkey’s progress in March 2026.
The delegation included senior officials from the CoE and national representatives from Portugal and Azerbaijan, along with GRECO’s executive secretary and legal advisers.
According to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Turkey continues to rank well below the global average, with a score of 34 out of 100, underscoring persistent concerns over public sector integrity.
The country has lost 16 points since 2013, the year it was rocked by major corruption scandals that implicated top government figures but resulted in the jailing of investigators rather than the accused. This downward trend has been linked to weakened oversight, the absence of an independent anti-corruption body and increasing political control over the judiciary — issues that mirror GRECO’s concerns and reinforce calls for urgent institutional reforms to restore judicial independence and public trust.
