The culture of corruption

25 percent would leave their religion

7 percent were willing to kill a stranger for that kind of money.

This shows how money talks. Decisions can be changed based on monetary gain. Corruption exists all over the world including Turkey. Often I hear comments by other Western foreigners that bribery is a serious problem in the Middle East. It is especially true that bribery in international business practice is a way of life for many. It’s true that in certain places passing the envelope is quite common in order to achieve your goals. This is disillusioning and tarnishes the offices that use this method of subverting the system.

We all know that one of bribery’s most sinister features is its corrosive effect on the public’s respect for the rule of law. It can affect the entire structure of a society.

Many officials turn their heads at some of the shady activity, to say the least, that goes on later at night when most respectable citizens have turned in for the night. Neighborhoods like Kadiköy Carsi have streets filled with bars and discos which blare music loudly into the wee morning hours. Elderly people who have resided in their home for many years before these places of late night entertainment moved in now have their sleep disturbed by the loud music.

One resident was so upset by not being able to get a good night’s sleep because of the loud chatter and music from the streets and bars below that he went out of his home to one the places below and waved his pistol about, threatening to shoot someone if the noise did not stop.

Furthermore, bribery has affected the residents in the area; it is something can swiftly undermine a municipal government’s legitimacy. In fact, bribery has the potential to destabilize the fragile process by which democratic ideals and institutions develop.

There is growing awareness worldwide of the fact that eliminating bribery and other shady business practices paves the way for economic growth. Corruption takes many forms. It’s an impediment to economic and social development, weakening institutions and the rule of law.

I recall that the multimillionaire John D. Rockefeller was asked in an interview, “How much money does it take to make a man happy?” His reply was an honest one. He said: “Just a little more.”

It can be hard for some to be content with their wages. It is harder for those who have none.

In Turkey what some Westerners may consider a bribe is not really a bribe but a token of appreciation. Maybe you have noticed companies often give presents to special customers or those who they want to show appreciation for their service or assistance by giving a nice gift at the end of the year. This can be a way to encourage a mutual working relationship. It’s done as a sign of appreciation and replaces the practice of giving bribes during the year. Of course, though, there are still many situations where the envelope is passed under the table or surreptitiously to another.

Having said this, I don’t think that corruption is limited to one geographical location or region. It is a global problem. The very words “good,” “bad,” “right” and “wrong” introduce the idea of morality into decision-making. Every culture interprets these slightly differently. How we respond to major decisions affects our lives and the lives of those within the orbit of our influence.

“Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Esteem and love were never to be sold.” -- Alexander Pope (Essay on Man (ep. IV, l. 187)