Rector admits: 'I use influence to get appointments, I'll say it openly'

Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University (AFSÜ) Rector Prof. Dr. Nurullah Okumuş admitted that he uses influence to secure appointments at the Faculty of Dentistry.

According to Afyon Postası, speaking at a program held at a cafe at AFSÜ, Okumuş made the following remarks:

“The faculty of dentistry. While many of our dental departments lack physicians or professors, we have three professors. We are in a position that many universities envy. Let me tell you why these people are coming here. We increased the number of academics in dentistry. We increased the number of assistants. The faculty of dentistry was opened, and we started admitting students there. The internship practices of the students here provided us with significant advantages. As a result, the faculty of dentistry, which was almost empty in its second or third year, started operating at full capacity. We went beyond full capacity, and it became the place I receive the most complaints about, with people saying, ‘We can’t get an appointment.’ I can’t get one either. I use influence, I’ll say it openly. Because when you open the appointment system, it closes within minutes; it fills up instantly. Because there is a very high demand. Especially for surgical procedures, orthodontics, or pediatric dentistry, citizens used to go out of the province or to private clinics. When your service is high quality, they start to prefer you.”

THE ISSUE OF INFLUENCE PEDDLING BACK ON THE AGENDA

During a Justice Academy program held at the Court of Cassation building, Deputy Minister of Justice Ramazan Can’s text messages regarding influence peddling were captured on camera. Speaking on the subject, Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç had said, “Requests may come, but our only criterion is merit.”