Turkey Scores Lowest-Ever Points in Corruption Perception Index

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Transparency International has released the Corruption Perception Index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to "experts and business people."

"This year's analysis shows corruption is more pervasive in countries where big money can flow freely into electoral campaigns and where governments only listen to the voices of wealthy or well-connected individuals," it said.

Turkey ranked 91st in this year's list with 39 points, whereas it scored 41 points and ranked 78th last year. It has been one of the three countries that lost the most places since 2013, losing 11 points and 38 places.

This was Turkey's worst-ever rank in the list, International Transparency Association Chair E. Oya Özarslan noted. "This situation, on the one hand, deepens increasing concerns about the distribution of public resources, creating social inequalities. On the other hand, it reduces our country's competitiveness and capacity to attract investments compared to other countries."

"It is necessary to urgently return to a full democratic system, where agencies and rules work and check-balance mechanisms exist," she added. (AÖ/VK)