ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that Turkey was among the first countries who signed the United Nations (U.N.) Convention Against Corruption.
Gul held a press conference that the government was determined to fight against corruption.
Foreign Minister Gul said that U.N. Convention Against Corruption was opened for signature in Merida, Mexico the same day.
Gul noted that Turkey's Permanent Representative Aydin Sahinbas to U.N. Office in Vienna signed the convention on behalf of Turkey.
Turkey was among the first countries who signed the convention, Gul drew attention.
Gul stated that the convention foresaw that a number of measures should be taken by member countries to prevent corruption.
Turkey had an important role in preparation of the convention, Gul emphasized.
Gul pointed out that ''embezzlement in private sector'', one of the 11 crimes of corruption in the convention, was added to the text upon Turkey's proposal.
Similarly, the article of the convention regulating judicial assistance was broadened upon Turkey's proposal, Gul added.
Gul stated that Turkey on the one hand speeded up its fight against corruption, and on the other hand it contributed to the studies carried out in the international field.
Gul stated that Turkey took an important role in formation stage of the convention, adding that the crime of ''embezzlement in private sector'' was included to the text of the convention upon the proposal of Turkey. Gul added that the article that regulated judicial assistance was also broadened by the proposal of Turkey. Gul stressed that the crime of embezzlement in private sector was included in an international document for the first time, adding that the way to ensure international cooperation when this crime was committed in one country was opened by this article.
Gul stressed that Turkey's signing the convention would speed up its fight with corruption, recalling that Turkey also carried out the approval proceedings regarding the conventions of the Council of Europe on corruption.
Gul said that the government was determined in fight against corruption, adding that it was important to fight against corruption which had become an element threatening stability and democracy of countries and did not have limits.
Noting that this issue was a very significant issue which could shake Turkey's macro economic balances, Gul said that corruption was existing in every part of the world and it could not be completely eliminated, but it was important to keep it on minimum level, adding that unfortunately corruption had became so widespread in a period in Turkey that it was reflected to reports of international finance institutions.
U.N. Convention Against Corruption necessitates arrangement of bribery, embezzlement, money laundry and prevention of justice as crimes which are also accepted as crimes in Turkish regulations. The convention, which envisages establishment of an international effective cooperation in fight against corruption, also brings into effect an effective system which does not exist in former international legal documents about returning of income gained from corruption to the originated country.
When convention will come into effect, it will be possible to request legal help regarding corruption crimes even if it is considered as a crime in only one of the two countries.
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(Öª-GC-AÖ) 10.12.2003