Two major criminal investigations have further exposed the depth of Turkey’s growing forgery crisis, revealing large-scale prescription abuse and identity fraud that highlight serious weaknesses in the country’s digital security infrastructure.
Stolen E-Signatures Fuel Narcotics Scheme
In one case, a network allegedly used stolen e-signature devices from doctors—paired with purchased citizens’ ID numbers—to issue more than 1,300 fraudulent prescriptions for narcotic drugs, according to the Kısa Dalga news website.
An investigation by the Karşıyaka Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in İzmir found that over 500,000 pills were prescribed through the scheme, with 300,000 collected from pharmacies in cities such as Antalya, İzmir, and İstanbul before being sold on the black market.
Six people have been indicted, some with extensive criminal histories. A cooperating witness detailed how prescriptions were created using stolen e-signatures and verified through phone calls to pharmacies to ensure availability. The drugs were then collected directly or the prescription and ID details were sold to third parties. Some doctors allegedly issued prescriptions in exchange for cash, with shipments arranged through couriers or cargo services. Despite the scale of the operation, certain key suspects were released under judicial supervision.
Identity Theft at Civil Registration Offices
In a separate case, civil servants in the southern province of Kilis are accused of selling Turkish citizens’ identity data to foreigners, enabling the fraudulent issuance of ID cards and passports, the BirGün daily reported.
The case began in late 2021, when two Uzbek nationals were detained while attempting to register biometric data for Turkish IDs. Investigators discovered that civil registration officials had overwritten fingerprint and photo records in the national database without altering the original ID numbers. In one example, a Syrian woman reportedly paid $25,000 to obtain a Turkish ID using another person’s credentials. Authorities believe at least 22 passports and eight ID cards were issued using this method.
Most suspects, including senior officials, are being tried without pretrial detention. The Interior Ministry also blocked prosecution of Hüseyin Ayvacı, then Kilis’s provincial director of population and citizenship affairs.
Part of a Broader Forgery Crisis
These revelations follow a nationwide scandal in which hackers allegedly infiltrated Turkey’s e-government systems to create or alter official and academic documents. That case has resulted in two indictments against 199 defendants and is said to have targeted the credentials of senior officials. No high-level resignations have occurred.
The scandals have reignited debate over President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s own academic credentials. While Erdoğan and Marmara University maintain that his diploma is authentic, neither an original copy nor a transcript has ever been made public.
Political Backlash
Opposition parties have seized on the latest developments. On Wednesday, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) youth branch in Eskişehir staged a satirical protest, distributing mock diplomas to draw attention to the issue.
“We’re giving away university diplomas today, free of charge—no need to pay $10,000 or $50,000,” said CHP Youth Chair Oğuzhan Demir. “This government has completely shattered faith in public service. Many young people are no longer pursuing university education.”
The mounting cases have intensified public distrust in Turkey’s institutions and raised urgent questions about the security of its digital systems.
