In Turkish law, the term “economic crimes,” also referred to as “commercial crimes” and “financial crimes,” encompasses offenses committed by individuals with professional and technical expertise, typically through deceptive activities, aimed at gaining unjust economic benefits. These crimes naturally arise from economic activities and often impact financial, commercial, and business life. Economic crimes are generally considered non-violent offenses that infringe upon economic interests.

Economic crimes directly threaten the functioning of the economic order. They often emerge as a result of the nature of economic activities and harm economic values. These values encompass principles that ensure the proper functioning of the economic order, such as fair competition, honest trade, reliability, transparency, and integrity. For instance, crimes like embezzlement and misappropriation are regulated to protect the interests related to the government’s trustworthiness and functioning. These crimes are punished to secure the reliable use of the state’s financial resources and to maintain public trust. The values safeguarded by economic crimes extend beyond individual economic interests and include values crucial to the sound operation of the general economic order, fair competition, consumer protection, and financial stability.

These offenses, which can be committed by perpetrators due to their professions and positions, are also referred to as “white-collar crimes.” To understand these offenses, one must recognize that they involve the illicit exploitation of the trust derived from the accused’s profession through deceit, forgery, and other unlawful means. Economic criminal law is primarily regulated by specific legislation, along with the Turkish Penal Code (Law No. 5237). Sectoral laws, such as the Banking Law (Law No. 5411), the Capital Markets Law (Law No. 6362), the Customs Law (Law No. 4458), and the Anti-Smuggling Law (Law No. 5607), establish definitions, penalties, and sanctions for economic crimes within their respective industries. These laws govern specialized areas like banking offenses, capital market offenses, customs, and smuggling offenses.

Economic criminal law, through the enforcement of penalties, protects the economic system and the institutions operating within it. It is a crucial tool for preserving trust in commercial relationships. Given the rapidly changing and evolving global landscape, economic criminal law is susceptible to manipulation, especially when it can bring advantages to many individuals. However, it remains one of the most important instruments for upholding trust in commercial relationships and safeguarding the economic order.