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| REPORT OF 2002 ACTIVITIES |
TOPLUMSAL SAYDAMLIK HAREKETİ DERNEĞİ REPORT OF 2002 ACTIVITIES |
Submitted to the Annual General Membership Meeting held 9 February 2003
Dear Members,
The activities conducted in the past year 2002 and the main issues of our Association are summarized below.
1. Overall Activities in 2002
Throughout the year the activities we held, such as conferences, press conferences, distributed press releases, and our television interviews, etc. are presented in the list attached to this activities report.
Our members are welcome to get details and documents about these activities from members of the Board of Directors, General Secretary, and our Web Site.
2. Application for Status as a Public Service Association
Our application to be granted the status of Public Service or Beneficial Association is at the final stage, after overcoming various unfortunate setbacks through the past few years.
In spite of an unfavorable opinion of the Tax Auditor of the Istanbul Financial Driectorate (Defterdarlığı), the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Internal Affairs presented their favorable opinions to the Prime Ministry and the Prime Ministry has requested an opinion of the Laws and Decisions Department of the Administrative Court of Appeals (Danıştay).
Mr. Onur Arı, a member of our Board of Directors, is interfacing with the Administrative Court of Appeals and trying to get a favorable result.
There is a serious difficulty to overcome the very narrow approach of the guidelines promulgated by Ministry of Finance related to democratic civil entities and the issue of benefit to the public during the examination period by both the Tax Auditor and the Administrative Court of Appeals Technical Legal Department, which binds the approval of the Prime Ministry.
We especially expect the assistance of our lawyer members, using modern interpretations, to put needed pressure on the Administrative Court of Appeals.
3. Our WEB Site www.saydamlik.org
We try to present general information about our Association and inform our members and the public about Association activities through our Web Site. In the Web Site, contents detailed below, are the Association’s aims, charter, income and expenditures, text of articles and interviews of our members, national and international corruption reports and programs about anti-corruption efforts.
Our Association members and all our citizens can find information and documents in our web site under the following headings.
- Aims
- News
- Activities
- Anti-corruption Activities
- Broadcasts
- TSHD’s Composition
- Joining the TSHD Movement
- Charter
- Management
- Member Speeches and Articles
- TSHD Member List
- Articles related to Corruption in the Press
- TSHD’s Income – Expenditure Table
- Special Reports / Documents
State Procurement Law
Lima Declaration
Durban Decision
World Bank Procurement Procedures Report
TSHD Annual Reports of Activities
Anti-corruption Emergency Action Plan of the 58th Government
We are pleased to see the recent increase in interest in our Web Site, as indicated by the number of visitors counted. We present our thanks to our member Mr. Nail Öğretmen for his assistance in keeping our Web Site current and to Onar Internet company who have offered to allow it to operate free of charge this coming year.
4. Association Membership
The greatest strength of Association and respect gained in the eyes of the public stem from the numbers of our membership and the professional composition of our membership. The fact of being a member and remaining one by fulfilling the requirements of our Charter is the biggest contribution of our members to the Association.
In the year 2002 just passed nine persons joined the Association, four others resigned, and the membership of ten persons was cancelled for continuous non-payment of annual dues.
Our membership totals 160 as of the date of our Annual Membership Meeting. We believe it is necessary to have a considerable increase in membership next year, from different career fields, which we can effect with your help.
5. Integrity Award
Turkey determined a candidate for the first time for the Transparency International (TI) “Integrity Award”, which has been in existence since 2000.
From well-selected candidates, our Association, through its Board of Directors, chose Investigative Reporter Nedim Sener as our candidate. Our candidate was announced to the public in a press meeting held in the Hilton Hotel. His candidacy to the world-wide TI Integrity Award and supporting documents have been submitted to the Award Committee.
6. Visit of Association Chairman to the Headquarters of Transparency International
In conjunction with a working trip to Berlin, Association Chairman Erciş Kurtuluş and External Affairs Coordinator Shirley Kurtuluş took the opportunity to visit Transparency International Headquarters on 25 September 2002 and met with the responsible officer for
Turkey Caren Norberg, Program Officer Sara Morante, Administrative Director Jermyn P. Brooks, Program Officer Gillian Dell, and News Editor Jana Kotalik. During these meetings it was determined that Director Jermyn Brooks was a speaker, in his official TI capacity, at a conference in Turkey held by a Foundation without the knowledge of our Association and without our Association being invited, and we made the necessary warning. As a result of the warning, TI Chairman Peter Eigen, Director Jermy Brooks and Mr. Jonas Moberg, manager of the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum manager, which assisted in the conference organization, each sent separate letters of apology to our Association. They were disappointed about the ill-will toward our Association continuously demonstrated by this Foundation.
7. Transparency in Politics and Ethics Conference held with the participation of Representatives of Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations
On 19 September 2002 our Association held a working panel in Ankara with the cooperation of the National Democratic Institute, entited “Transparency in Politics and Ethics – It’s Time for Commitment”, with the active participation of representatives of political parties and civil society organizations.
The attendees were:
Abdullah Gül, Vice Chairman, Justice and Development Party (AKP)
Berna Türkili, candidate for Parliament, Motherland Party (ANAP)
Oya Araslı, Vice Chairman, Republican People’s Party (CHP)
Aydin Tümen, Group Chairman, Democratic Left Party (DSP)
Turan Güven, Vice Chairman, True Path Party (DYP)
Şevket Bülent Yahnici, Vice Chairman, National Movement Party (MHP)
Ercan Karakaş, Vice Chairman, New Turkey Party (YTP)
In addition, representatives attended from the Ari Movement Association, Istanbul Parliamentarian Watch Committee, Women Candidate Support Association, Liberal Thought Association, Social Economic Political Studies Foundation TESAV, TUSAID, and Turkey Social Economic Political Studies Foundation.
During the meeting, all attendees from the civil society organizations, the press and politicians were around one table and discussed the issues of “Transparency in Politics and Ethics” and the representatives of the political parties presented their views on this issue and expressed their promises.
Detailed information on this subject may be found in our Web Site.
8. Visits to our Association
In the period just finished some of the visitors to our Association who shared views were:
1st Secretary of the European Community Turkey Representation Vincent Rey
Economic Officer of the U.S. Embassy Aldo J. Sirotic and Istanbul Consulate General
Economic and Political Department Chief Stuart M. Smith
National Democratic Institute Turkey Representative Peter Van Praagh
Oxford Analytical Studies Group, with activites in England, representatives Kenneth
Payne and Bernard Kennedy
1st Secretary, Canadian Embassy Mr. Marshal Page
It has been decided that Transparency International European Department Director Caren Norberg and Program Officer Sara Morante will come to visit Association directors in Turkey after the Annual Membership Meeting to share views. This visit will take place shortly.
9. Visits by our Association
In the past year representatives of our Association paid official visits to Prime Ministry Examination Board Chairman Mr. Osman Nuri Oduncu, Istanbul Bar Association Chairman Mr. Kazim Kolcuoğlu, Chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Certified Public Accountants Mr. Sezi Onaral, Budget and Financial Control General Director Mr. Durmuş Öztek, and Turkish Parliamentarians Union General Secretary Mr. Aydin Zeki Tuğ. The Association’s aims and activities were presented and possibilities for cooperation were discussed.
During the visit to Berlin Director Caren Norberg recommended that we send representatives to the Swedish Consul General in Istanbul and this took place on 17 September 2002, followed with the presentation of a project proposal to Consul General Ingeman Karlsson.
10. Monthly Conferences Held in our Association Building
We were largely successful in holding the planned monthly conferences in our Association building when a speaker presents an issue for discussion.
The subjects and speakers for these conferences are as follows.
Date Speaker Subject .
11 Sept 2001 Zekeriya Temizel Corruption and Economic Crime
Former Ministery of Finance
15 Nov 2001 Prof.Dr. Baran Tuncer Where are We in the Economic Depression
World Bank Senior Economist
Marmara Univ. Financial Procurement Law Brought to the
Sciences Dept Chairman Struggle Against Corruption?
29 Aug 2002 Dr. Yaşar Erdinç Transparency in the Capital Market
Economist, Capital Market Expert
3 Sept 2002 Zeki Gündüz Financing Politics
Ret. Chief Inspector of Finance
Partner, PriceWaterhouseCoopers
8 Oct 2002 Ali Osman Tezcan, Translator Transparency in Civil Society
Bilal Yeşil, Ret.Colonel, Gen.Staff Organizations
17 Dec 2002 Gökhan Zeybek, Architect Transparency in Municipal Procurement
Mehmet Bölük, Former CHP and Personnel Employment
Istanbul Dist. Chairman
Some of these presentations are in our Web Site.
11. TESAV / NDI Meetings (Ankara)
Association Chairman Erciş Kurtuluş and Deputy Chairman Baran Tuncer attended continuously the Panel Turkey’s Agenda in the 21st Century, which has been going on for some three years, and sponsored by TESAV, which is Chaired by our member Mr. Erol Tuncer, and by NDI (National Democratic Institute).
Subjects such as transparency in public administration, judicial independence, political financing, and civil society organizations are discussed at these meetings attended by some 30 persons who are members of political parties, university professors, and representatives of civil society organizations. Documents prepared by experts and presented at these meetings are available for use in our Association library.
12. Attendance at the Working Conference in Athens on Political Financing
and Political Slease
Our Association was representated at the Political Financial and Political Slease working conference held in Athens by Transparency International Headquarters and TI Greece 13-15 September 2002. Work progressed based on responses to questionnaires previously prepared by participants.
In addition to Turkey, the conference was attended by TI representatives from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, England, Finland, Iceland, France, Italy, Norway and Greece, who presented information on the situations in their countries.
Professor Keith Ewing of the University of London, King’s College, who is an expert on the issue, participated in the conference as a moderator.
13. Announcement of the Transparency International 2002 Corruption Indexes
The Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which Transparency International prepares each year was announced in August this year. Our Association held a press conference in the Hilton Hotel on 28 August 2002 to announce the results to the public. This press conference attracted wide media coverage and considerable space in nearly all newspapers was given to this. In addition, television stations interviewed the Association Chairman about the Index.
In addition the Bribe Payers Index (BPI) which has been conducted for the past three years was announced to the public on 14 May 2002 in a press conference held in our Association building.
14. Our Stand Against Delaying the Effective Date of the
Changes of the State Procurement Law
Everyone accepts the fact that corruption in State procurement is at the top of the reasons why our country has fallen down to be among the most corrupt countries in the International Corruption Indexes. Since this is the case, we view with sadness and suspicion the attempts to delay the date that the changes made to the State Procurement Law designed to counter corruption enter into effect. As we enter a new political period, we are even more concerned as we follow attempts behind closed doors of the 58th Government to change, this time not the date of entry into force of the Law, but change the entire law to make it easier for corruption to flourish. We announced our views on this issue in our Press Release of 20 December 2002. We expect our members to show their feelings on this issue in effective ways.
15. Documentation of Association Strategic Planning Work
Work has begun to revise the Association Charter to bring it in line with the new Civil Law, the law on Interface with the European Commission and the difficulties experienced in the past periods. Under study are matters such as the revision of our information reference units, how to revise the membership dues without having to revise the charter, membership regulations, discipline regulations, opening of representative offices and branches, the timing of our annual general membership meeting. We will keep our members informed of developments of the ersults of these efforts, which are being managed by Board of Directors members Lawyer Mustafa Karslı.
17. Association Library and Documentation Efforts
18. Financial Affairs and Financial Situation
Financial information for the period of activities of 24 April 2002 – 2 February 2003 is set out below.
Carried-over from the Previous Period and Income from the Current Period
- Carry-over from the previous period (Cash and Banks) 12,607,423,000 TL
- Interest earned on bank accounts 3,157,579,000 TL
- Income from membership dues 745,000,000 TL
- Donations 1,162,000,000 TL
- In the Other Income Account 30,000,000 TL
Expenditures in the Period
- Salaries 2,669,546,000
Other Expenditures 3,409,881,000
- Rent 963,000,000
- Gas+Electric+Water 355,080,000
- Local Transportation 194,550,000
- Telephone+PTT Exp. 718,300,000
- Newspaper Ad. 85,000,000
- Meeting Organization 344,891,000
- Office Supplies 364,939,000
- Various Expendiures 28,200,000
- Representation Exp. 82,500,000
- Self-employed Payments 180,707,000
- Tea+Coffee+Water 48,308,000
- Other Payments 44,407,000
Total Expenditures 6,079,427,000 TL
Cash Carried over to Current Period 11,622,575,000 TL
In the event that we do not receive any assistance from the 2003 State Budget and donations are not as expected, our Association faces a serious economic situation in 2003. It will not be possible to employ a staff member full-time and the available resources can only be used to maintain our basic activities at a minimal level. The coming year will see an even more difficult period from the financial standpoint.
It is important that all our members extend their support to solve this difficulty.
I present my respects and thank all of you, members of our Association, who are the real contributors to the success of the Association up to now and extend my expectations for you to continue.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Chairman
Erciş Kurtuluş
ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS IN THE PRESS
Date: 27 February 2002
Newspaper: Zaman
Subject: Views on Civil Society Organizations’ “Explanation about Earthquake Aid”
(Murat Aydın)
Date: 10 March 2002
Newspaper: Cumhuriyet
Subject: Corruption Has Become a Popular Item (Barış Doster)
Date: 17 March 2002
Newspaper: Radikal
Subject: Political Corruption (Baran Tuncer)
Date: 24 April 2002
Subject: Press Release about the One Year Delay in Choosing a Chairman of the
Appeals Court with letters to the President of Turkey, Speaker of Parliament
and Chairman of Political Parties
Date: 2 September 2002
Newspaper: Cumhuriyet
Subject: “The Right Time for Being Cleared of Blame” (Yakup Kepenek – Ankara
Sunday Column) regarding TSHD Transparency in Politics and Ethics Panel
Date: 19 September 2002
Newspaper: Hurriyet
Subject: “The Election Was Not Transparent Again” (from the column of Sedat Ergin)
TSHD Political Transparency and Ethics Panel
Date: 19 September
Newspaper: Vatan
Subject: Views on the promises of the Republican Peoples Party on immunity
Date: 8 October 2002
Newspaper: Milliyet
Subject: The Transparency of CSOs (Melih Aşık – Open Wındow column)
Date: 19 October
Newspaper: Cumhuriyet
Subject: Election Expenditures Should be Declared (Barış Doster)
Date: 26 November 2002
Newspaper: Cumhuriyet
Subject: Parliament Should Not be a Haven for the Guilty (Oktay Apaydin)
Date: 20 December 2002
Type: Press Release
Subject: Condemnation of Delay of the Date of Entry into Force of the
Changes of the State Procurement Law
Date: 3 January 2003
Newspaper: Star
Subject: Candidates are Sought for the Integrity Award (Jale Özgentürk – Close Plan)
Date:
Date: 22 January 2003
Newspaper: Cumhuriyet
Subject: Nominations for TSHD’s Integrity Award (Özlem Güvenli)
INTERVIEWS ON TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS
Date: 9 January 2002
TV: TV8
Program: Evening Post
Speaker: Ismet Bayhan
Subject: Transparency and accountability, duties and responsibilities of BDDK and
DDK (Banking Oversight and Regulatory Board and State Audit Organ
under the Presidency), and General Huseyin Kivrikoglu’s Statement
TV: NTV
Program: Turkey in Numbers
Speaker: Oğuz Haksever
Subject: TESEV’s Corruption Report
Participants: Erciş Kurtuluş (TSHD), Can Paker (TESEV), Ali Carkoğlu (TESEV),
Mehmet Balduk (TOBB), Mehmet Dülger
Date: 25 March 2002
Radio: NTV Radio
Program: Voice of the People
Speaker: E. Sedat Küçükay
Subject: What are Civil Society Organizations? Questions - Answers
Participant: Erciş Kurtuluş
Date: 28 July 2002
TV: CNBC-e
Program: Last News
Subject: TI Corruption Indexes
Date: 28 July 2002
TV: NTV
Program: World View
Subject: TI Corruption Indexes
Date: 29 August 2002
TV: SKY Turk
Program: Agenda
Subject: TI Corruption Indexes
Date: 19 September 2002
TV: CNN Turk
Program: News
Subject: TI Corruption Indexes
Date: 20 September 2002
TV: Channel 7
Program: News
Subject: TI Corruption Indexes
Date: 30 September 2002
TV: Channel 7
Program: News
Subject: TI Corruption Indexes
Date: 20 January 2003
TV: NTV
Program: Ask NTV
Speaker: Celal Pir
Subject: Government’s Anti-Corruption Emergency Action Plan
Date: 24 January 2003
TV: CMBC-e
Subject: Integrity Award
Date: 24 January 2003
TV: TV8
Program: Active News
Speaker: Gökhan Karadağ
Subject: Integrity Award
CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS ATTENDED
Date: 5 February 2002
Host: Customs Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry
Subject: “Integrity and Customs” Panel held on the occassion of the 50th
Anniversary of the Foundation of the World Customs Organization
Place: Hilton Hotel, Istanbul
Speakers: Erciş Kurtuluş, Mehmet Keçeciler, Nevzat Saygılıoğlu, Michel Danet,
Ismail Arslan, Nicolas Imboden
Date: 10 January 2002
Host: Ankara – Koru and Tandoğan Rotary Clubs
Subject: Transparency in Government Panel
Place: Çankaya Municipality Modern Arts Center
Speakers: Erciş Kurtuluş (opening address), Gündüz Aktan, Mustafa Balbay, Erkan Mumcu
Date: 19 March 2002
Host: METU Career and Work Ethics Group
Subject: Civil Society Organizations and Ethics
Place: METU, Ankara
Speakers: Onur Arı (TSHD), Prof. Dr. Fikret Görün, Dr. Semra Aşcçgil, Ömer Tezcan,
Alfredo Witschi Cestari (UN)
Date: 14 May 2002
Host: TSHD
Subject: Explanation of the Bribe Payer Countries Index
Place: TSHD Building
Date: 27 June 2002
Host: TSHD
Subject: Conference on “What Did the Revisions in the State Procurement Law Bring?
What Didn’t They Bring?
Place: TSHD Building
Speakers: Prof.Dr. Dilek Yilmazcan
Date: 5 July 2002
Host: World Bank
Subject: Civil Society Org. Meeting on the WB’s Country Suport Plan
Place: Conrad Hotel
Participants: Erciş Kurtuluş, Prof.Dr. Yilmazcan, Zeki Gündüz (TSHD) and approx.
25 Civil Society Organizations
Date: 20 August 2002
Host: TSHD
Subject: Conference on “transparency in the Capital Market”
Place: TSHD Building
Speaker: Dr. Yaşar Erdinç
Date: 28 August 2002
Host: TSHD
Subject: Press Conference and Explanation of the 2002 Corruption Indexes
Place: H0ilton Hotel
Date: 3 September 2002
Host: TSHD
Subject: Conference on “Transparency in Political Financing and Political Expenditures”
Place: TSHD Building
Speakers: Zeki Gündüz
Date: 10 September 2002
Host: World Bank
Subject: Cooperation Between Civil Society Organizations and the Government and the
World Bank, Belgrad Meeting Results
Place: The Marmara, Istanbul
Speakers: Bilal Yeşil, Shirley Kurtuluş (TSHD) and approx. 10 other CSOs
Date: 13-15 September 2002
Host: Transparency International
Subject: Corruption (Sleaze) in Politics in Wester Europe/Western Europe Meeting
Place: Athens
Participants: Reps of TI Chapters in Western Europe, TI Secretariat, profs from U.London
Date: 19 September 2002
Host: TSHD and NDI
Subject: Transparency and Ethics in Politics – It’s Time for Commitment” Panel
Place: Ankara, Hilton
Participants: active participation of Vice Chairman of major political parties, press, 7 CSOs
Date: 8 October 2002
Host: TSHD
Subject: Conference on Transparency in Civil Society Organizations
Place: TSHD Building
Speakers: Ali Osman Tezcan – Bilal Yeşil
Date: 15 October 2002
Host: UNDP
Subject: Presentation of the UN’s Global Principles Agreement
Place: Dedeman Hotel
Speakers: Alfredo Witschi Cestari, Refik Baydur, Masum Türker, Kalman Mizel,
Hans Hofmeijer
TSHD Partıcıpant: Prof.Dr. Dilek Yilmazcan
Date: 17 October 2002
Host: Swedish Consulate
Subject: Visit to the Swedish Consul General, presentation of project proposal
Place: Swedish Consulate General, Istanbul
Participants: Consul and Assistant, Haluk Boran, Ibrahim Tutar, Shirley Kurtuluş (TSHD)
Date: 4 November 2002
Meeting with: Intelligence Unit (information and magazine)
Subject: Financial Transparency in Turkey and the Activities of the Central Bank
Place: TSHD Building
Date: 11 November 2002
Meeting with: European Community, Turkey Representation, 1st Secretary Vincent Rey
Subject: Civil Society Organizations and reform of State functions
Place: TSHD Building
Date: 22 Novembev 2002
Meeting with: Representatives of the U.S. Embassy
Place: TSHD Building
Date: 29 November 2002
Host: TSHD and Galatasay University
Subject: Transparency During Ascendency to the EC and Clean Society Conference
Place: Galatasaray University Kemal Oğuzman Conference Hall
Speakers: Erciş Kurtuluş, Prof.Dr. Dilek Yilmazcan, Vincent Rey (EC),
Prof.Dr.Seyfetin Gürsel, Sinan Sencer Karabulut
Date: 17 December 2002
Host: TSHD
Subject: Conference on “Transparency in Local Government Procurement and
Personnel Employment”
Place: TSHD Building
Speaker: Gökhan Zeybek and Mehmet Bölük
Date: 24 January 2003
Host: TSHD
Subject: Press Conference on TSHD’s Integrity Award
Place: Hilton Hotel
DINNER/BRUNCH MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS
Date: 19 May 2002
Place: Emirgan Arboretum Yellow Villa
Explanation: Brunch with members and families; Association issues discussed.
Date: 1 July 2002
Place: Ankara, Mulkiyeliler Birligi
Explanation: Establishing an operational board in Ankara, discussing issues such as
increasing membership and subject to be given priority
Date: 17 September 2002
Place: Businessmen’s Club, Taksim
Explanation: Members get-together and general discussions over dinner
Date: 4 February 2003
Place: Agricultural Bank Club, Ankara
Explanation: Get-together of Ankara members, to introduce new members, get the views
of Ankara members before the Annual General Membership Meeting,
discuss Association stragegy