Corruption and democracy in Turkey

In this paper we explore the reasons for corruption occurrence and to some extent political, economic, and moral consequences of it on the potency of democracy in Turkey. The paper has three parts. In the first part, we briefly review major theories of corruption in the literature. Here we argue that perception and occurrence of corruption are path-dependent and hence theorizing about corruption in relation to a particular space and time requires taking into consideration formal and informal institutional frameworks of this context (Lederman 2005). In the second part, by considering the peculiarities of the Turkish social formation, we briefly review some of the major findings of the growing literature on corruption in recent years and how corruption occurring at different levels impact on the effectiveness of democratic governance (Doig and Theobald 1990 and Moreno 2002). In concluding, we provide a concise assessment of some of the leading consequences of corruption in Turkey for the growth and vigor of democratic institutions and practices.