The Fight against Corruption in Turkey - European Union Relations; Türkiye - Avrupa Birliği İlişkilerinde Yolsuzlukla Mücadele

In: Liberal Düşünce Dergisi, Heft 112, S. 135-158

Abstract

The agenda for the fight against corruption has become a prominent part of the relationships of international organizations with nation-states. This article analyses the fight against corruption as a vital topic in Turkey's bid for European Union (EU) membership. It also assesses the EU's approach and framework for the candidate countries. For this purpose, qualitative document analysis is carried out on 80 EU documents on Turkey for the years between 1998 and 2021, based on process tracing. The analysis demonstrates that corruption is a persistent issue in Turkey across multiple fields. Progress is still slow, and Turkey is far from fulfilling the membership requirements for the fight against corruption. The EU has advocated for political will and a new strategy to address corruption in Turkey, focusing on institutional capacity and governance, international commitments, the fight against
clientelism and political corruption, and the independence of the judiciary.