Ethical bodies: are they possible under democratic systems? The Turkish example.

In this article, the relationship between ethics bodies and democratic concepts will be introduced. One should bear in mind that the relationship between the flourishing of ethics committees (EC) and democracy is by no means undirectional. The line of causation can easily be reversed as a higher level of democracy is likely to lead to a spurt in such committees at different levels of society. It is not a coincidence that they appear in larger numbers in relatively more open and democratic societies. In this sense, their sheer existence might be taken as a sign of a higher level of awareness for openness and democracy. EC seems to have some functions theoretically: To contribute to the eradication of corruption in society; To increase the accountability of different sections of the population; To play an important part in increasing the awareness about the rights and duties; To contribute to the spread of self-disciplining behavior in society; One final point to be emphasized is that for ethical committees to fulfill the above functions they should have a clear set of guidelines, powers to enforce them and effective deterrents to prevent wayward behavior. The principal question of how it does works in Turkey--a country located at the junction of Europe and Asia--ought to be perceived from the point of view of a medical ethicist from a developing country.