Corruption is present in all countries, says Turkish deputy PM

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

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Corruption is present in all G-20 countries, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said at the fifth Bosphorus Summit on Dec. 11, adding that the fight against corruption would be one of the main topics at the G-20 agenda this coming year.

“Corruption is unfortunately a crucial problem in both developed and developing countries. And corruption is the case more or less in all G-20 countries, actually in all countries in the world. What should governments and businesspeople do in the fight against corruption to foster transparency? One of the main topics of the G-20 meetings will be this issue this year, under the presidency of Turkey,” Babacan said.

The deputy prime minister said growth perspectives would be the main topic of the G-20 agenda this year, adding that it was impossible for economies to grow more merely with fiscal and monetary policies.

“Structural reforms matter a lot. Turkey will not see higher growth rates unless a majority of countries make the required structural reforms in labor markets and social security, among others,” he said, adding that production was key for economies to grow.

In this vein, Turkey will establish a mechanism to monitor whether G-20 countries keep their reform promises.

“We’ll then publish the results in a transparent way to create some pressure on the countries in a smooth way,” he said.

“Three words will guide Turkey ... inclusiveness, implementation and investment,” Babacan told a press conference on Dec. 1, after Turkey assumed the presidency of the G-20.  
      
“We aim to make the G-20 reach out to low-income countries and take care of countries that are not G-20 members in an inclusive way,” he said.        

“Turkey will bridge the gap between developed economies and undeveloped countries to fight global inequality,” he added, vowing to include poor countries in decision-making.      
 
Babacan said the 2015 G-20 leaders’ summit, to be held in November in the southern Turkish province of Antalya, will discuss topics including “strong, sustainable and balanced economic growth,” climate change, global development and the fight against corruption.