Ekrem İmamoğlu Indicted for Alleged Fake Diploma, Faces Prison and Political Ban

Ekrem İmamoğlu

An indictment has been completed against Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor and a prominent presidential candidate from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The prosecutor's office is seeking a prison sentence of 2 years and 6 months to 8 years and 9 months, along with a political ban, on charges of "chain forgery of official documents" related to an alleged fake university diploma.

The investigation into İmamoğlu's diploma began following his dismissal from office and subsequent arrest as part of a broader "corruption" probe targeting the IMM. The core of the allegations centers on the "irregularity" of his horizontal transfer from a university in Cyprus to Istanbul University.

The formal investigation was initiated by a CİMER complaint dated September 18, 2024, which alleged an "irregular" horizontal transfer from a Cypriot university that lacked equivalency in Turkey at the time. This was further fueled by a YouTube broadcast from "Veryansın TV" on October 1, 2024, where a journalist claimed İmamoğlu's diploma was fake, specifically citing that Girne American University was not recognized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) at the time, making such a transfer impossible.

Details of the 20-Page Indictment

The 20-page indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, specifies the period between September 10, 2014 (when İmamoğlu began his master's degree as Beylikdüzü Mayor) and January 18, 2024, as the timeframe of the alleged crime.

Key evidence cited in the indictment includes:

• A Research Report from the Higher Education Supervision Board dated February 17, 2025.

• A letter and application documents from the Istanbul Provincial Election Board Presidency dated February 21, 2025.

• A statement from Özalp Tozan, founder of University College of Northern Cyprus (UCNC), dated March 17, 2025, in which he reportedly stated that UCNC did not have equivalency in Turkey at the time.

• A Review Report from Istanbul University Rectorate dated March 05, 2025.

• Documents from Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) and Girne American University.

The indictment claims that University College of Northern Cyprus was not recognized by YÖK, and that only Eastern Mediterranean University was recognized among universities operating in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus during the period in question.

Allegations of Fraudulent Practices

The prosecutor alleges "numerous fraudulent transactions" were made. Specific claims include:

• Horizontal transfer quotas were irregularly increased, with a Faculty Management Board meeting allegedly evaluating applications two days before the official deadline of September 14, 1990.

• Students were reportedly removed from lists and replaced with new ones, and a department with an alleged quota of 3 admitted 54 individuals.

• The YÖK decision stating "only Eastern Mediterranean University" was ignored.

• Students lacking proficiency were accepted without language or qualification exams.

• It is also alleged that the son of a dean at Istanbul University's Faculty of Business Administration, Eren Güredin, benefited from an irregular overseas transfer, being registered as an EMU student despite his graduating institution being UCNC.

Furthermore, the indictment states that Yağmur Ergüneş Tümer, the student affairs manager at Eastern Mediterranean University for 28 years, testified that there was no record of Ekrem İmamoğlu at EMU. She also stated that admissions required exams since 1986, and exam documents are kept for 10 years, implying İmamoğlu would not have been admitted without proper records.

The indictment concludes that the documents İmamoğlu presented for horizontal transfer to Istanbul University were a UCNC brochure and transcript, not from EMU. Despite this, Istanbul University officials allegedly registered him as an EMU student, leading to the claim that a "formally correct but fraudulent in content" official document was created through "clear deception." The legal principle that a "forged document is considered as non-existent" is invoked.

İmamoğlu's Response and Political Implications

In a significant development, Istanbul University had revoked İmamoğlu's diploma on March 20, prior to the completion of the indictment.

The indictment also references İmamoğlu's past statement during a visit to Istanbul University's Faculty of Business Administration, where he said, "I was shocked when I heard about those who transferred," suggesting he was aware that such horizontal transfers were not possible at the time. The prosecution claims that despite no evidence of him studying at Eastern Mediterranean University in his life story, he was presented as an EMU student during his Istanbul University registration, and he acted to create a different public perception, leaving questions unanswered during his statement.

The prosecutor asserts that İmamoğlu participated in the "forgery of official documents" by fraudulently obtaining and using the alleged fake document for his Master's degree at Istanbul University, for military service at the Ministry of National Defense, and during his application to the Supreme Election Board, thereby committing the crime in a "chain" manner.

This case carries significant political weight in Turkey, where presidential candidates are required to possess a higher education degree. Critics view the indictment and the university's decision to revoke his diploma as an attempt to disqualify Ekrem İmamoğlu from the upcoming presidential race.

The indictment also notes that new suspects have been identified in the diploma investigation, and due to the large number of individuals involved, İmamoğlu's file has been separated from the others.