Istanbul University has announced the annulment of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s university diploma, citing “obvious error” in the transfer process that led to his graduation. The decision, affecting 28 individuals including İmamoğlu, has sparked widespread political debate, with the opposition calling it a politically motivated move aimed at undermining a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The ruling comes at a crucial time for İmamoğlu, a leading figure in Turkey’s opposition and a potential presidential contender in the 2028 elections. Under Turkish law, candidates for the presidency are required to hold a higher education degree, meaning this decision could prevent him from challenging Erdoğan or any future ruling party candidate.
University’s Decision and İmamoğlu’s Response
Istanbul University stated on X (formerly Twitter) that it had identified irregularities in the 1990 transfer of 28 students, including İmamoğlu, into its English-language Business Administration program. As a result, their diplomas were declared invalid and “nonexistent.” The university also announced that all related documents would be forwarded to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Higher Education Council (YÖK) for further legal review.
İmamoğlu strongly condemned the decision, calling it “unlawful” and arguing that the university’s board of directors lacks the legal authority to revoke a diploma. He asserted that only the Faculty of Business Administration has the jurisdiction to do so.
“This decision is nothing but a political operation,” İmamoğlu said in a video statement on social media. “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.”
In response to doubts about his credentials, the mayor’s office released a photocopy of the diploma İmamoğlu received in 1995, dismissing allegations that he never graduated.
Political Fallout and Opposition Reactions
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, who see it as an attempt to sideline one of Erdoğan’s strongest challengers ahead of the next presidential election.
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel described İmamoğlu as “a victim, not a perpetrator” and accused the government of using institutions to suppress political rivals. “This is not a legal decision; it is a political intervention. We will respond in the clearest and strongest political terms,” he said.
Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş, another prominent opposition figure, echoed these sentiments. “Turkey’s democracy has entered a new and troubling phase. No one should assume that we will remain silent in the face of this unlawful and undemocratic attempt to strip İmamoğlu of his rights,” he said. Yavaş also announced that he would put his own presidential ambitions on hold until “this injustice is corrected.”
The DEM Party labeled the annulment a “clear violation of rights and law,” while İYİ Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu described it as “far more than just eliminating a political rival.” DEVA Party leader Ali Babacan also condemned the move, calling it “a blatant example of using administrative and judicial power to shape politics.”
Legal Options for İmamoğlu
İmamoğlu’s legal team has signaled that they will challenge the ruling in court. They are expected to first appeal to the Administrative Court and, if necessary, take the case to the regional administrative court and the Council of State (Danıştay). His lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, previously stated that if domestic legal avenues fail, they would escalate the case to the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
This latest controversy adds to a series of legal battles İmamoğlu has faced. In 2022, he was sentenced to nearly three years in prison and banned from political activities for allegedly “insulting” Turkey’s Supreme Election Board, a case that remains under appeal. Earlier this year, he also faced questioning in an Istanbul court regarding an investigation into his criticism of the city’s public prosecutor, which he described as judicial “harassment.”
Implications for Turkish Politics
The decision to annul İmamoğlu’s diploma underscores the heightened political tensions in Turkey as the country looks ahead to the 2028 elections. Critics argue that the move reflects an effort to remove potential challengers through administrative and legal means, rather than through electoral competition.
As the battle over İmamoğlu’s candidacy intensifies, Turkey’s political landscape faces renewed uncertainty, with opposition parties vowing to resist what they see as an attack on democracy. Meanwhile, İmamoğlu remains defiant, pledging to continue his political fight:
“They ask, ‘What will you do?’ I will keep running like a lion. I will never stop. If I was running a thousand times, I will now run a million times. We will build a system that will erase injustice from this country,” he declared.
With legal battles ahead and political stakes high, the fate of one of Turkey’s most prominent opposition figures remains uncertain, but the controversy surrounding his diploma is sure to shape the country’s political discourse in the years to come.
