Professors who operated on Erdoğan accused of plagiarism
Articles published in international scientific journals represent an achievement for any academic and are essential for professional advancement. These journals enforce strict standards for publication. While publication is considered a mark of prestige, retraction is viewed as a significant blemish on an academic's career.
The article titled “Comparison of Clinical Outcomes in Locally Advanced Distal Rectal Cancer Patients with Complete Clinical Response: Total Mesorectal Excision versus Nonoperative Management” was written by a group of academics, including Prof. Dr. Dursun Buğra and Prof. Dr. Emre Balık, who were part of the team that operated on President Erdoğan. It appeared in the April–June 2024 issue of the World Journal of Colorectal Surgery.
The journal is published by the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ISUCRS), where Prof. Buğra serves as a board member.
The article was retracted in the latest issue of the journal. The editorial board published the retraction notice as follows:
The original article titled “Comparison of Clinical Outcomes in Locally Advanced Distal Rectal Cancer Patients with Complete Clinical Response: Total Mesorectal Excision versus Nonoperative Management” published in World Journal of Colorectal Surgery, on pages 35-40, Issue 2, Volume 13, 2024, has a number of unattributed sections of content with high rate of similarity with previously published article titled “Clinical Outcomes of Salvage Surgery in Locally Advanced Distal Rectal Cancer Patients with Local Regrowth Following Non-operative Management”, published in Turkish Journal of Colorectal Disease, on pages 16-22, Issue 1, Volume 32, 2021. As there is substantial overlap and statistical misrepresentation/falsehood of content, the journal’s editorial office has decided to retract the article.
Plagiarism, misrepresentation, unethical or redundant publication violates the editorial policy of World Journal of Colorectal Surgery, which follows best practice guidelines given by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) mentioned on the Information for Authors and as codified in the signed statements made by the authors regarding the copyright of their work.
This article is being retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board of the journal.
The article was retracted due to similarities with a previously published piece in the Turkish Journal of Colorectal Diseases and the failure to provide proper citations. The journal's principles regarding articles and authors are also very clear. Under the section outlining authors' responsibilities, it states that "the article must not have been previously published elsewhere," "contributions from others or utilized sources must be appropriately used and cited in the references," and "all individuals listed as authors must meet the specified criteria." These principles are binding for everyone whose name appears on the article.
Author responsibility
The responsibility for the scientific and ethical integrity of submitted articles lies with the authors. Authors must certify that the manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal in any language. All sources and contributors must be appropriately acknowledged and cited. Authorship is reserved for those who make substantial contributions to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation, who draft or critically revise the article for content, approve the final version, and take responsibility for the work’s integrity.
Providing funding or general supervision alone does not justify authorship. All individuals listed as authors must meet these criteria, and the order of authorship must be a joint decision, documented with signatures.
Individuals contributing materially but not qualifying for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately. Such contributors might include those providing technical assistance or general support. Their roles, such as "scientific advisor," "data collector," or "clinical caregiver," must be explicitly stated and documented with written consent.
All authors must disclose financial relationships or conflicts of interest that could influence the research. If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they are obliged to inform the editor and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction. Author Contribution Forms and Conflict of Interest Declarations must accompany submissions and are based on ICMJE guidelines.
Prof. Dr. Buğra also serves as General Secretary of the Honorary Board of the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Like Buğra, Prof. Dr. Emre Balık holds a position on the board of the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Therefore, the article bearing their signatures was retracted on "ethical grounds" from the journal affiliated with an organization they help manage. The retraction was formally announced by the journal.
(Mİ/DT)
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