Evaluation of participation in meetings by electronic means in joint stock companies from corporate governance perspective in Turkish Commercial Code and European Union

After the financial crisis /scandals, it is accepted worldwide, that, corporate governance is a requirement for the full functioned joint stock companies aligned with the raising importance and indispensableness of these companies in the commercial world. It is not enough to identify the principles, these principles come to life, if two organs (general assembly and board of directors) of joint stock company work with full functioned. And this is only possible with the participation. In European Union, corporate governance is accepted as a part of corporate law, and meetings by electronic means is a tool for this aim. It is definitely, stated by Turkish Commercial Code numbered 6102, corporate governance principles will be identified for listed companies by Capital Market Board. Additionally, corporate governance principles are embedded in articles of general assembly and board of directors for all companies in the same code. Since corporate governance principles are also required and some of them are mandatory by law even for not listed companies, meetings via electronic participation will provide appropriate tool for realization of corporate governance. In this study, firstly the importance of joint stock companies and participation in general meetings and board of directors are examined and finally corporate governance principles that will be realized via participation to these meetings are emphasized.