First of all, taking opportunity of the conference, I feel pleased to come together with you in distinguished and historical city, Belgrade.

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1 SOUTHEAST EUROPE REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMBATING ORGANIZED CRIMES AND CORRUPTION (12 April 2013, Belgrad) Distinguished Participants; First of all, taking opportunity of the conference, I feel pleased to come together with you in distinguished and historical city, Belgrade. I thank our dear friends in Serbia for their warm hospitality and efforts in the preparation of this excellent organization. I strongly believe that this conference and exchange of views will improve the close relations among participant countries and will provide mutual and positive results. We have close views on many international issues. It provides that we can greatly contribute to stability, security and prosperity both on a regional and global scale. Distinguished Delegations of Participant Countries; (Combating Organized Crimes) At the beginning of 1990s, cross-border crimes activities seriously increased due to factors such as ending of cold war, building of new nation state, technologic development, globalization and armed conflicts. The cross-border crimes activities still exist. The organized crimes to have become global are regarded as one of the risk factors to threaten not only one country but also international security on a wide scale at the present time. 1

2 By giving an example for dimension of cross-border crimes, I think that we can understand better seriousness of this situation. Unfortunately, estimated value of illegal drug trafficking to be still most profitable among such crimes activities is 320 billion U.S Dollars according to the United Nations on Drugs and Crimes. This price shows a financial power which is bigger than national income of 90 % countries around the world. Criminal organizations abuse different legal regulations of countries, important facilitations provided by technology and globalization for person, good and money transfer, and uncontrolled national borders. In addition, they also abuse the lack of coordination among the responsible units, problems and inadequacy in the sharing of information. Nowadays, it has to combat efficiently against crime organizations to be not only in national borders but also in cross-border, and to cooperate between countries effectively on a common and determined attitude. In the second half of the 20 th Century, we also know that global security organizations as well as various regional organizations cooperating against crossborder crimes were established. The international society improved various applications and systems related to content of the cooperation. But, these applications are unfortunately not more an advanced level than the cooperation among criminal organizations. The unwritten rules and trust factor are important for criminal organizations. When we look at the combating, it is clearly that the countries have a strong legal basis and have to be determined for effectiveness cooperation. 2

3 The legal basis of cooperation among law enforcement units comprise of security cooperation agreements or international contract with relevant countries. It is not possible to commence and carry out the cooperation without the legal basis. But it is not enough to ratify these agreements. The relevant international documents also have to be transported to domestic law. After that, the countries will be empowered to exchange the operational or strategic views and to organize the joint investigation teams or joint data bank on a legal basis. But we believe that it is necessary but not enough for effective cooperation. Besides, country security units have to know each other and to have good relations among countries. Recently, the cooperation against cross-border crimes and criminal as well as implementations of the cooperation to be focused on improving the capacity of the relevant units of countries for combating crimes are increasingly growing. The countries, which have not such equipment and qualified personnel, receive aid and support by means of the other countries directly or UN and regional organizations. To enable country, which asked to carry out security cooperation, to stand on one s own legs makes a big contribution in long term to establishing strong relations not only in security sector but also in other cooperation fields. Distinguished Guests; The combating against cross-border crimes is an inseparable part of foreign policy of the countries because of the growing need for security cooperation. 3

4 In the coming years, it is estimated that the need for regional and international security cooperation will still grow. But, it should not be forgotten that the need for security and cooperation is not one-sided fact and is a part of international and regional foreign policy of countries. It is possible to sum up the primary requirements to be carried out regarding the improvement of international cooperation in combating Organized Crimes; 1. As it has a great significance to examine and analyze Organized crimes strategically in order to identify new crime types and combating methods, the international information shall be reviewed along with the national level information; accordingly combating strategies should be put forth and improved within international cooperation. 2. In order to combat against the Organized crimes, an effective and dense information exchange shall be maintained among the international crime investigation and prosecution authorities 3. Administrative and legal regulations to be prepared basic and procedures on exchange the international information have to be carried out. Within the framework, new procedures should be created and current procedures should be strengthened by bilateral agreements, which share rapidly information about accused and events among law enforcements units in different countries. 4

5 4. In cooperation with European Countries, the units, which will provide to exchange rapid and effective information in Europol, should be established. Within the framework of strategic association conditions with Europol, it should be focused on current cooperation. 5. Necessary legal regulations should be carried out with a view to assigning the secret investigator and reporter to cross-border crimes investigations. 6. Study groups within projects shall be built up in order to create a synergy in combating against Organized crimes. 7. Data exchange and cooperation shall be extended in the fields of combating against organized crimes among organizations and institutions in charge of precrime information gathering and law enforcement bodies in charge of preventive and judicial investigations. As for Turkish Ministry of Interior, there are archetypal praxis carried out by our law enforcement bodies in combating organized crimes and many international cooperations have been established with countries and international organizations. I would especially like to emphasis that our government gives a special importance to such initiatives. In this context, preparation of Strategy document on Combating against Organized Crimes which covers the years of and improvement of relevant action plans are the evidence of importance given to this testimony. 5

6 Distinguished delegates and dear guests ; (Fight against Corruption) As for the fight against Corruption, regarded as a transnational crime through the Article 8 of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, signed also by our country, has increasingly turned into an international character. Defined as abuse of the public power for private benefits, corruption dates back to the old times as the history of human-beings and states. Administrative, economic and social grounds are observed, when examined the grounds of corruption. The unavoidable corruption will lead to disorders in public administration and failure in the economic development. It is considered that the fight against corruption will be more efficient by means of raising social awareness, concentrating on training activities, ensuring a goodgovernance and cooperation among state, private sector and NGO s, improving transparency and supervision, as well as resolving the employment problems in public services. Our Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Task Forces carry out their activities at a great pace. Thanks to their activities, a great amount of financial loss has been prevented, which has also a deterrent/preventive effect on persons has inclined to commit such crimes. 6

7 Within this framework, transfer the sense of operation based on projects, establishing the technical infrastructure and hardware, implementing intensive training programs and improving cooperation with national and international relevant institutions and organizations through the information utility provided by our Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Task Forces to the local affiliated units has increased the anti-corruption operations. The importance of this issue has been stressed by means of a series of recent legal regulations on fight against corruption and the outline of an efficient struggle has been established. By means of action plans towards implementation, the framework of the concrete actions launched being determined. The most concrete and outstanding example of such regulations is the strategy document on Increasing the Transparency in Turkey and Strengthening the Fight against Corruption ( ), approved by the Council of Ministers in This is the first and most comprehensive political and legal document of our country in terms of fight against corruption. The fight against combating has a special importance in the process of EU Harmonization. Within this regard, the necessary steps are rapidly being taken in respect of legal and administrative adjustments. I would also like to re-emphasize that similar practices are being carried out within United Nations, Council of Europe and other regional organizations of which we are a member. 7

8 Distinguished Participants; The practices of fight against corruption have been conducted in coordination with the Ministries of Interior Justice and Finance, in our country. Regarding to improve the accountability in public administration, there shall be some measures to be taken in order to increase the inspection of civil servants, to develop accountability precautions and to train the personnel pursuant to national plan. Particularly as for the jurisdiction of Ministry of Interior, administrative precautions has been put into process in order for maintaining the administrative mechanism more objective and transparent. Moreover, a special commission for providing the National Strategy to be put into force and an Executive Board subjected to this commission have been established. Finally, I would like to talk about our international cooperation activities related Combating against Corruption briefly and to finish my statements. Our country is not only a party to United Nations Convention against Corruption, which is a main international legal document in this field, but also is an effective follower of review mechanisms. Apart from the above-mentioned Convention, Turkey is also a part to conventions against corruption, by Council of Europe. 8

9 Our country completely implements all decision and recommendations by Financial Action Task Force of OECD, which primarily includes studies related to corruption and bribery. Last but not least, Turkey is determined to play an active role in a global combating against the common problem in cooperation with countries and international organizations. While I finish my statements, I present compliments to all delegations of Participant Countries. I sincerely wish that this regional conference, Combating against Organized Crimes and Corruption, Judicial Cooperation in Region of Southeast Europe, can be an effective pace to provide strong cooperation among countries. Thank you. 9