Istanbul Mayor’s University Degree Under Fire in Pre-Election Controversy

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the popular Istanbul mayor and a leading opposition figure in Turkey, has recently become the target of a politically motivated diploma investigation. The controversy, widely referred to as the Imamoglu diploma case, centers around claims that his university degree is invalid — an allegation many see as a smear campaign orchestrated by the Erdoğan regime.

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Chronology of the Degree Annulment Process

1990 – University Transfer Approved

İmamoğlu transferred from Girne American University to Istanbul University’s Faculty of Business. The transfer was formally approved, and he graduated as a registered student — a fact that went unquestioned for over 30 years.

2019–2023 – Rise of a Pro-Democracy Mayor

After defeating Erdoğan’s candidate in Istanbul’s municipal elections, İmamoğlu emerged as a pro-democracy mayor under fire from the ruling party. As he grew in popularity, especially as a potential presidential candidate, fake diploma allegations began surfacing in pro-government media.

March 2025 – Degree Revocation Attempt

In a shocking move, Istanbul University initiated an academic record inquiry and revoked İmamoğlu’s diploma, claiming procedural irregularities in his 1990 transfer. The decision came just weeks after he was also targeted in corruption and terrorism-related cases — raising alarms about a coordinated election disqualification attempt.

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Key Issues and Public Response

• The degree revocation was based on technicalities dismissed for over 3 decades, leading many to label it as part of a judicial abuse pattern in Turkey.
• Observers noted that neither YÖK (Turkey’s Higher Education Council) nor the courts questioned his credentials during multiple elections — until now.
• The opposition leader‘s academic credentials were suddenly targeted during a wave of political smear campaigns against opposition mayors.

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Why It’s Seen as a Political Conspiracy

This scandal is widely regarded as a fabricated crisis to damage İmamoğlu’s credibility and disqualify him from presidential candidacy. The use of academic institutions in political persecution signals a dangerous erosion of institutional independence in Turkey.

International media outlets, pro-democracy groups, and Turkish academics have condemned the case as a targeted effort by the Erdoğan regime to silence its most powerful rival.