Istanbul mayor Imamoglu’s degree revoked over non-recognition of Cyprus university

Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s degree was on Tuesday revoked by Istanbul University over a report which found that the university in northern Cyprus at which he began his studies before transferring to Istanbul was not adequately recognised.

Imamoglu was one of 28 people to have his degree revoked, with the university writing that it had revoked his degree on the strength of a report written by Turkey’s higher education council (Yok).

“It has been decided that graduations and degrees will be cancelled by being withdrawn on the grounds of their being absences and clear errors,” the university wrote, adding that the decision will now “be sent urgently” to the Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office and to Yok’s directorate.

Imamoglu had earlier in the month given testimony at the Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office, which is investigating accusations of forgery over him and his degree.

On Tuesday evening, he described the university’s decision as “unlawful”, adding that the university’s board of directors “does not have the authority to make such a decision”.

“The authority lies solely with the board of directors of the faculty of business administration. The days when those who made this decision will be held accountable before history and justice are near. The march of our nation, thirsty for justice, law, and democracy, cannot be stopped,” he said.

Ekrem Imamoglu’s degree, now cancelled

Imamoglu first moved to Cyprus in 1988, first studying at Famagusta’s Eastern Mediterranean University before transferring to Kyrenia’s Girne American University. He then transferred to Istanbul University in 1990, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1994.

The two points on which the case against rests are a Yok decision taken in November 1991 stating that it was “not possible” to recognise the Kyrenia university, and the publication of a regulation in Turkey’s official government gazette in 1996 stipulating that Yok recognition of a university be a legal standard for university transfers.  

Imamoglu’s lawyer Mehmet Pehlivanli pointed out that both of these decisions were taken after Imamoglu transferred from Kyrenia to Istanbul in 1990, adding that it is “not possible to explain the retroactive application of a rule introduced six years later within the law”.

The prosecution has insisted that decision not to recognise the university in Kyrenia was not a one-off retroactive move in Imamoglu’s case, but that letters had been sent by Yok to various Turkish universities in 1988, 1991, and 1992 stating that the only university in the north it recognised was the Eastern Mediterranean University.

The saga comes after Imamoglu had declared his intention to run to be Turkey’s next president, with the CHP set to hold an internal election this year to decide who its candidate will be.

Imamoglu is the clear frontrunner to be his party’s candidate, with party leader Ozgur Ozel and Ankara mayor Mansur Yavas both having publicly stated that they will not stand.

However, Turkey forbids people who have not obtained a university degree from running for president, thus meaning that if the revocation of his degree stands, Imamoglu will be ineligible to run.