Abstract
Evaluation of Private Military Companies in Terms of Business Ethics
Ethical issues are an integral part of business life and daily life. Business ethics concern
the ground rules of individual, company and societal behavior. With industrialization,
business activities have become more complex and this occasionally causes violations
of rights. The number of private military companies increased rapidly in the conflict
areas after 1990. The purpose of this study is to examine the activities of private military
companies in terms of business ethics and to emphasize the necessity of a human-centered
thinking system. In the study, firstly, the definition of private military companies was made
and then the differences between private security companies were mentioned. Then, the
definition of business ethics was made. Finally, the situation of private military companies
in terms of business ethics has been evaluated by considering some experienced events. In
the 21st century, non-ethical activities such as operations of private military companies,
severe human rights violations, ill-treatment of prisoners of war, torture and rape were
recorded in various official reports in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore,
it cannot be said that private military companies are very successful in practice morally
and legally. These new companies, known in the past as names such as legionnaires or
mercenaries, but nowadays referred to as private military companies or private military
contractors, have reached an annual turnover of over $ 200 billion and the number of
employees expressed in hundreds of thousands. However, the uncertainty of the positions
and responsibilities of private military companies in armed conflicts brings along many
moral and legal problems. Along with the law, violations of rights can be prevented by
addressing people's moral worlds, hearts and consciences.
Keywords
Ethics, Business Ethics, Companies, Private Military Companies, Security.
