Dr. Sonan, who is a member of the faculty of Political Science and International Relation at Cyprus International University, said “the situation of ‘the fish stinks from the head’ is at hand“.
He pointed to an increase in corruption cases in the country, stating that the fundamental reason is the lack of accountability for corruption in front of the judiciary. Dr. Sonan said, “Putting an end to these discussions depends on effectively investigating all allegations and punishing those who violate the law, regardless of whose interests are affected. This is the only way we can restore the trust and reputation our institutions have lost”.
Asked how he evaluated the issue of fake diplomas, Dr. Sonan said
“It is possible to say that there is an upward trend in corruption cases in our country, which has also been reflected in the corruption perception studies we have been conducting since 2017, together with Prof. Ömer Gökçekuş, starting from 2020.
“I believe that the issue of fake diplomas should also be associated with this general trend. In recent years, scandal after scandal has been occurring in our country, and often these are covered up. The ‘private jet scandal’ revealed by your newspaper, which you reminded us of a few weeks ago, is a good example of this…
“We can say that the fundamental reason for the sudden increase and widespread occurrence of corruption is the failure to bring those involved in corruption to justice and hold them accountable. I think the fact that some high-ranking officials with many corruption allegations against them walk around freely, in other words, getting away with it, creates corruption that permeates the rest of society. Unfortunately, there is a situation of ‘the fish stinks from the head’“.