Who is heading the B-20 anti-corruption taskforce?

Corruption is the world’s biggest issue. According to the OECD, the cost of bribery to the world economy is $1 trillion; add environmental and social destruction to this heavy cost.

Some countries are extremely reactive to corruption; others do not lift a finger. 

In Brazil, for example, one million people took to the streets March 16 calling for the resignation of President Dilma Rousseff, who was claimed to have been involved in corruption while she was heading the oil company Petrobras.

Turkey’s anti-corruption record is weak. In the Transparency International Corruption Index 2014 report, Turkey was down 5 points compared to the previous year to stand at 64th place among 175 countries. 

In a recent survey of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD), corruption in Turkey and a rise in the perception of corruption were revealed.

Not a day passes without a corruption news story in the press.

Most recently, we learned from our colleague Miyase İlknur that the general manager of Kiptaş, İsmet Yıldırım, became a property lord after he took office. Also, other managers at Kiptaş were claimed to be “rich.” This statement from Ahmet Altan, who spoke to Çınar Oskay on the weekend, is quite striking: “The corruption orgy in Turkey.”

Turkey had an opportunity to take concrete steps against corruption when it took over the presidency of the G-20 from Australia last December because “anti-corruption” is one of the most important agenda topics of G-20 countries.

Did we use this opportunity? No. Unfortunately we have not seen any activity on the corruption agenda of the G-20.

Among the B-20, which represents the business world of the G-20, there are taskforces led by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and one of them is the anti-corruption taskforce. During the last World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Murat Ülker was appointed by TOBB to lead this group. It was later understood that he did not accept the position.

We do not know who the head of this group is. Somehow, it is kept like a secret.

It was claimed the head of the taskforce will be announced in April. Does this group have any members?

Director of Ethics and Reputation Society of Turkey (TEİD) Tayfun Zaman is in the group but he does not know who the other members are.

While there is no activity going on in the anti-corruption taskforce, the other groups are working.

Headed by Ali Koç, the B-20 Turkey Employment Taskforce met at Antalya at the end of February. The B-20 SMEs and Entrepreneurship Taskforce has invited the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED) to join their work.

The only unopened book within the B-20 is the taskforce on anti-corruption.

Interesting, isn’t it?

Corruption is the biggest problem in both Turkey and the world, but nobody wants to shoulder the responsibility.