On March 19, the decision made by the Istanbul University Board of Directors canceled the university diplomas of 28 people who were determined to have made irregular undergraduate transfers, along with Ekrem Imamoğlu. This isn't just a cancellation of Imamoğlu’s diploma. It marks the beginning of a long legal battle for Imamoğlu but more importantly, it means that he can no longer run for president like the Republican People’s Party (CHP) had planned.
The cancellation of the diploma was met with backlash by the public, as most saw it as a way for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the current president of Türkiye, to kick Imamoğlu out of the presidential election since he is expected to be Erdoğan’s biggest competition. The controversy also brought about old discussions about the authenticity of Erdoğan’s diploma and whether he actually attended university, as there are no pictures of him on campus nor any friends that have spoken up about their time in university. The debate surrounding Erdoğan's university diploma became prominent during the 2014 presidential election process when he first ran for president. However, the history of the debate dates back to the mid-2000s. In 2007 and 2008, Yalçın Küçük and Banu Avar claimed in their books and speeches that Erdoğan did not have a diploma. In subsequent years, people from different segments stated that Erdoğan did not have a diploma and therefore could not legally perform the duties of the presidency since, according to the 101. article of the Constitution, those who haven’t completed university and haven’t gained a university diploma can not be president. These allegations stem from Erdoğan's dual diplomas and other dubious points about his university years: His original diploma is not visible to the notary; the school he graduated from had not officially opened in the year he graduated; he lacks memories of his university years; and none of his university friends hold important positions in political and commercial institutions today, whereas his high school friends do. However, none of these claims can be confirmed since applications for the examination of the university diploma are rejected by the Supreme Election Council, which states that Erdoğan's diploma is genuine. The People's Liberation Party, which is actively working on the diploma issue, requested information from the Ministry of National Defense, Marmara University, and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, all of which are institutions where Erdoğan is required to submit his diploma. However, these institutions refused to provide information in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK). The party's lawyers cite the 15th Notary Public of Istanbul's notary clerk's "Certified True Copy" approval of the diploma without seeing the original as key evidence in their criminal complaint against the institution for alleged misinformation.
This controversy was also mentioned in CHP’s election campaigns in the previous years, which led most to suspect that Erdoğan was, in a way, “getting back” at the party by using their methods. However, it is important to note that the Imamoğlu case was started by former Memleket Party member Ozan Özcan’s complaint. Therefore, the case can’t be directly traced back to Erdoğan and his relevance is based on speculations that stem from the fact that the complaint was filed and the diploma was canceled almost a week after Imamoğlu announced that he will run for president in the next elections, especially considering that he has been targeted many times before by Erdoğan, even more than Özgür Özel, who is the president of the main opposing party, the CHP.
According to the news published by Anadolu Ajansı (AA), some of the reasons for the cancellation of the diplomas were the fact that the individuals’ GPAs were below the 2.4 threshold, there was an “FF” in their transcripts, and Girne American University wasn’t present in Istanbul University’s register records. In the same article, it was also claimed that Imamoğlu enrolled in Istanbul University outside of the quota and processed his transfer using the name Eastern Mediterranean University instead of Girne American University, where he was studying. It was added that all transfers to Istanbul University Business Faculty between the years 1987 and 1993 would be investigated.
The founding partner of Girne American University in 1986 and its manager until 1992, Özalp Tozan, also had a major impact on the cancellation decision through his testimony. He stated, “I used to say that during university promotions back then as well. Girne American University is not recognized in Türkiye." It is also important to mention that Imamoğlu had given Tozan as a reference for his transfer, the very person who gave testimony against him. Naturally, this raises questions. Given that Tozan was the most knowledgeable official about how GAÜ was not recognized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and had no equivalence in Türkiye, meaning that transfer was impossible, why did he agree to be Imamoğlu's reference for his transfer to Istanbul University? Tözcan answered this question in his testimony too, stating, "I definitely don't know him personally. I don't know why he wrote such a thing. I have thousands of students; it's impossible for me to remember. Istanbul University has never called me about this matter."
In light of the evidence and the testimony, the diploma was canceled on 19 March. However, this decision affected more than only Imamoğlu, since others who have lost their diploma include Sevgi Toprak Tunga—businesswoman, Halis Toprak's daughter; Alper Tunga—businessman, Halis Toprak's son-in-law; Mehmet Timuçin Tecmen—Turcas/Shell Board Member; Naciye Aylin Ataay—Professor at Galatasaray University, Department of Business Administration; Mustafa Kerem Erman—Koç/Otokar Deputy General Manager; Nur Taşkent—STFA Group Vice Chairman of the Board; and Alp Taşkent—STFA Board Member. Especially the cancellation of Naciye Aylin Ataay’s diploma went viral on X, as she lost her professor status in the blink of an eye and was degraded to a high school graduate, meaning the diplomas of any student who had taken a class from her were also put into danger.
What most people found ironic is that in Istanbul University’s 2023 post for the celebration of the 55th year of the Business Faculty, Imamoğlu was stated as one of the graduates and now, they have made a post announcing to the public that Imamoğlu is actually not a graduate of the university.
A couple of hours after the cancellation of Imamoğlu’s diploma, he and 87 other individuals were taken into custody with allegations relating to corruption and terrorism.
Early in the morning of March 19, Imamoğlu shared a video on X, saying that there were hundreds of police officers in front of his house. He stated, "I say with regret. A handful of minds trying to usurp the will of our nation have gathered hundreds of police officers at the door of 16 million Istanbul residents, using my dear police officers for evil." It was reported that the mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality was taken to the police department on Vatan Street.
Imamoğlu’s detention and the cancellation of his diploma right after he announced his presidential campaign led many to believe that all these events were in fact connected and related to Erdoğan’s unwillingness to give up his power, which caused Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to face major backlash, leading citizens to take the issue to the streets in order to protest the events that have happened. In response, some subway stations, like Taksim and Emniyet-Fatih, were closed by the government, the internet and some social media platforms like X, Instagram, and WhatsApp were slowed down in the Istanbul region, certain roads like Vatan Street were closed, and mass gatherings were banned. However, these silencing methods only resulted in the public getting angrier. Students from Boğaziçi and Istanbul Universities performed a protest walk that everyone later joined, where they walked 5km to the CHP headquarters in Saraçhane to show their support for Imamoğlu. The public was met with force from the police with barriers and pepper spray. However, the crowd was able to push through them all to reach Saraçhane. There were also protests in other parts of the country, like Trabzon, Ankara, İzmir, and Rize.
The protests were compared to the Gezi Parkı event in 2013. The event refers to the protest movements that were organized to oppose the urban development plan prepared for Taksim Gezi Parkı in Istanbul, and later transformed into a social movement against social issues such as freedom of expression, media censorship, authoritarianism, and the oppressive administration of the then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. However, the scale of the protests we see today is much smaller and less violent than Gezi Parkı.
Imamoğlu was also met with support from his fellow politicians. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel described Imamoğlu's detention as "an attempted coup against our next president."
İyi Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu stated, "According to the Constitution, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan cannot be a candidate again. If disregard for the Constitution continues, and if practices similar to the elimination of potential candidates continue, the only thing to do is to boycott and protest the presidential elections. The opposition must now seize the majority in Parliament."
“The space for politics is being narrowed in this country, and that is the message being given to politicians,” DEVA Party Leader Ali Babacan stated. "What does this mean? It means, 'I've made up my mind, and as long as my life and health allow, I'm here, and no one else will have this power.' That's what it means. If that's the case, then Turkey has undergone a regime change," he added.
The Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) Chairman Erkan Baş also voiced his opinion on the matter, stating, "They continue their attempts to undermine the will of the people by using the power they have seized. This is a coup. No matter what, we will not surrender this beautiful country to the mercy of coup plotters."
The situation was also brought up in the European Council, where Imamoğlu's detention was condemned. The Council noted in its statement that "all elements of political pressure against a key candidate in the next presidential election were observed" in the developments. It was added that they would raise the issue at the meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on March 24.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos also issued a joint statement regarding Imamoğlu's detention and other recent arrests. They stated that these developments "raise questions about Turkey's commitment to its deep-rooted democratic tradition," and added, "The EU calls on the Turkish authorities to ensure full transparency and follow due process."
The statement continued: "As a candidate country for the EU and a long-standing member of the Council of Europe, Turkey is expected to apply the highest democratic standards. Respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law are essential for the EU accession process. These issues will continue to be an integral part of EU-Turkey relations."
US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said regarding the issue, "We’re not going to comment on the decision-making, the internal decision-making of another country, but – except to remind them that we expect them to behave in a manner that respects the rights of all of its citizens."
Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Europe, Dinushika Dissanayake, described Imamoğlu's detention as "a major escalation in the ongoing crackdown on peaceful dissent and the targeting of the main opposition party, CHP." The official stated that "the ability of civil society to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly" is being "further stifled" through "the weaponization of vague counter-terrorism claims."
French Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Christophe Lemoine stated that Paris is "deeply concerned" about the decision and added that "Today's detentions will have serious consequences for Turkish democracy."
German Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said that the detention decision was considered part of a series of legal moves "aimed at putting pressure" on Imamoğlu. Like Lemoine, he added that the detention was a "serious setback" for Turkish democracy.
Major newspapers in Europe also covered the news about detention. The British newspaper The Guardian said, "President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's main rival was detained a day after invalidating his university degree; this is seen as a political move." The Italian newspaper Repubblica's headline read, "Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu, who is preparing to run against Erdoğan, has been detained."
Some mayors and politicians from Italy also published a video to show their support for Imamoğlu. Mayors of Milan, Florence, and Rome, as well as Italian members of parliament and members of the European Parliament, are present in the video saying, "We stand with Imamoğlu and democracy in Türkiye."
The recent chaos surrounding Imamoğlu’s diploma cancellation and subsequent detention reflects a deepening political crisis in Türkiye, raising significant concerns about democratic integrity and the rule of law in the country. As Imamoğlu emerges as a leading contender against Erdoğan's presidency, the allegations and actions taken against him appear to be part of a broader strategy to consolidate power and eliminate competition. The international community, including European officials and human rights organizations, has voiced concerns over these developments, underscoring fears of escalating authoritarianism in Türkiye. With widespread public backlash and protests, the situation has sparked renewed discussions about fundamental rights and freedoms, compelling citizens to stand firm against perceived governmental overreach. As political tensions mount, the implications of this situation will reach far beyond the immediate consequences for Imamoğlu, marking a shift and a transitional moment in Turkish democracy as well as politics.
Edited by: Oya Yamaç