25 MAY ETHICS DAY MESSAGE FROM EGEMEN BAGIS

Releasing a written message for the occasion of 25 May Ethics Day, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis stated that in all countries that are developed and democratic, an understanding of public administration, compatible with ethic principles of which the frame was determined by international standards, was inevitable.

Bagis noted these:

"I consider 25 May which we celebrate as the Ethics Day, as a means to highlight the importance of ethic values in every field particularly in politics and public administration.

Turkish public administration has confronted with ethic problems for many years and has gone through political, economic and social crises because of the corruptions caused by behaviours that are not compatible with the ethic values. Drifting apart from the ethic values, unfortunately, betrayed the Turkish citizens' trust in politics and the politicians.

Feeling a respect for the ethic values in public administration is in fact the reflection of feeling respect for human rights and freedoms. As the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated many times, in the environments where the democracy suffers, the prohibitions become widespread and where the human rights and freedoms are restricted, the social structure is degenerated as well."

Through the reforms that we have pursued with a strong will and determination during the EU accession process, not only our country has reached an advanced level of economy but also our people have made peace with politics, our community has become a trust dominated structure which is respecting each other based on fundamental rights and freedoms.

Today, on the occasion of Ethics Day, I bring once again to the attention of all my colleagues the “Ethics Guide for Public Officials” published by the Prime Ministry Board of Ethics. I strongly believe that the Secretariat General for European Union Affairs, which is performing the task of coordination and guidance on the way of integration with the European Union, will also contribute to establish ethics culture within our community and in public administration.

Hereby, I celebrate all my colleague’s “25 May Ethics Day” and Ethics Week, and wish the continuation of their successful and devoted work based on ethics.”