Attorney Ruşen Gültekin explains: What must be done to prevent corruption?

Attorney Mehmet Ruşen Gültekin made important statements in the 12punto studios on the program Zamanın Adaleti, examining the prominent agendas in Turkey from a legal perspective.

Gültekin responded to journalist Mustafa Büyüksipahi's question, "In terms of Turkey's future, what must be done for our judicial system and state institutions to regain their reputation? What steps should be taken to prevent such corruption?" with the following points:

'IF THE JUDICIARY CAN MAKE DECISIONS FREE FROM POLITICAL PRESSURE'

"There are many fundamental steps that must be taken for Turkey to emerge from this point and become a more robust state of law in the future. First and foremost, judicial independence must be ensured. Judicial independence is one of the most fundamental pillars of a country's democracy and legal system. If the judiciary can make decisions free from political pressure and interference, the rule of law will be ensured, and citizens' trust in the state will be restored.

EMPHASIS ON TRANSPARENCY

Besides this, transparency and accountability are the most important elements. Every action taken by public officials must be transparent, and these individuals must be held accountable for all their actions. This is one of the most significant shortcomings in Turkey. Administrators can use the powers granted to them arbitrarily, and this situation leads to the misuse of public resources, corruption, and bribery incidents. Public officials must be transparent and held responsible for every action they take.

COURT OF ACCOUNTS AUDITS

Audit mechanisms among state institutions must be made effective again. Oversight bodies like the Court of Accounts (Sayıştay) must have the authority to directly refer the corruption and irregularities they uncover to the judiciary. However, in the current system, there are major obstacles to referring the findings identified by the Court of Accounts to the judiciary. Enabling such oversight bodies to fully perform their functions makes the state stronger and more transparent.

RULE OF LAW

Another important issue is education. One of the most important tools in the fight against corruption is raising public awareness on this matter. Citizens being sensitive and conscious about corruption and bribery is of great importance in uncovering and preventing such incidents. Education must be provided continuously, not only in schools but also within public institutions, in terms of adopting ethical values and the rule of law.

PUBLIC RESOURCES

Administrators must be more careful and frugal when using public resources. While many people in this country struggle to make a living, the unnecessary spending of public resources by administrators creates a great sense of anger and injustice in society. Therefore, it is very important for state administrators to be accountable when using public property and to look out for the interests of society."