On June 3, 2023, when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Hakan Fidan as Turkey’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, we at News About Turkey immediately raised serious concerns. From the very day of his nomination, we publicly questioned—not out of political bias but out of genuine alarm—Fidan’s intellectual capacity and academic credibility, particularly on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter). Our skepticism stemmed from the fact that Fidan’s credentials had long evaded rigorous scrutiny, and entrusting him with the stewardship of one of Turkey’s most critical institutions risked not only undermining the country’s diplomatic standing but also weakening its already fragile democratic structures. At the time, we argued that if Erdoğan was determined to elevate a loyal confidant to the position, İbrahim Kalın would have been a far more appropriate choice. As presidential spokesperson, Kalın had demonstrated a solid grasp of foreign policy, a degree of academic seriousness, and a familiarity with both global institutions and diplomatic discourse. Despite his own controversies, Kalın’s intellectual and strategic qualifications far surpassed those of Fidan.
Initially, our focus was on Hakan Fidan’s postgraduate degrees—his master’s and PhD from Bilkent University. His master’s degree was completed before his appointment as the head of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), while his PhD was completed in 2006, during his tenure at TİKA and a few years before he became the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). Both degrees were obtained prior to his rise to broader public prominence. More than two years ago, on his first day in office, we reported on X (formerly Twitter) that both these had been carefully curated to align with the career trajectory that ‘some’ had planned for him: first intelligence, then diplomacy. His master’s thesis, titled “The Role of Intelligence in Foreign Policy,” conveniently foreshadowed his future appointment to MİT, while his doctoral dissertation, “Diplomacy in the Information Age: The Use of Information Technologies in the Verification of International Agreements,” appeared to give him a superficial academic credential in foreign affairs just as he moved toward a diplomatic portfolio. At that time, we specifically reported that neither of these works, including the topics and titles, was genuinely authored by Fidan. Instead, they were created for him and designed to serve as bureaucratic stepping stones.
But the scandal only widened in February 2025, when journalist and academic Emre Uslu publicly questioned the very foundation of Fidan’s academic story: his undergraduate degree. In a post on X and a subsequent YouTube video, Uslu stated unequivocally that Hakan Fidan had no valid bachelor’s degree recognized by Turkish authorities. He challenged the government to produce the relevant equivalency documentation from YÖK, Turkey’s Council of Higher Education. His message was clear: if the degree existed, prove it. If not, stop pretending it does.
Fidan had long claimed to have earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), a distance-learning institution catering largely to U.S. military personnel stationed overseas. This was not, however, the prestigious University of Maryland, College Park—a common point of confusion that may have played into YÖK’s earlier leniency. In fact, during the period Fidan claimed to have studied at UMUC, the institution did not even offer a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Instead, it provided a broader Bachelor of Arts in Social Science, raising immediate concerns about the authenticity and accuracy of Fidan’s claims.
The diploma allegedly belonging to Fidan added further doubt. It was missing the name of the specific campus and did not clearly state the program’s department—both standard features of accredited American university diplomas. Its formatting was inconsistent with the institutional norms of the era, and even its designation as a BS degree appeared dubious given UMUC’s catalog from the time.
By May 2025, the matter had reached Turkey’s Grand National Assembly. CHP Group Deputy Chair Murat Emir held a press conference, pointing out that the university Fidan claimed to have attended did not appear on YÖK’s international equivalency list, as verified through Turkey’s own e-Devlet portal. He filed a formal parliamentary question and challenged Fidan to clarify whether he had ever received official recognition from YÖK for this undergraduate diploma. Rather than providing documentation, Fidan responded by suing Emir for 200,000 TL in damages, alleging defamation of character. The lawsuit, however, only drew further public attention to the issue.
“We checked on e-Devlet, and it says very clearly: ‘This institution is not listed in our Council’s international recognition database,’” Emir said. “This is not a minor issue. This is the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Türkiye, and we are talking about whether his diploma is legally valid.”
Emir pointed out that the UMUC campus Fidan attended was not a traditional university but a satellite extension set up for U.S. military personnel. He noted that such institutions are not automatically recognized by YÖK, and often require individual evaluation—with many applicants rejected or given limited recognition due to the non-traditional format of education.
In response to growing media pressure, the Presidential Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) attempted to contain the fallout. In a statement released on May 13, 2025, DMM claimed that YÖK had issued an equivalency certificate in 1998 under Law No. 2547. Yet the image they released was a poorly scanned, low-resolution collage lacking essential details such as institutional seals, course lists, or credible verification from either YÖK or the university. Instead of resolving concerns, the announcement only inflamed suspicions that the government was trying to sweep the matter under the rug.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also dismissed all allegations as “a smear campaign orchestrated by FETÖ (the derogatory acronym for the Gülen Movement) and similar structures,” asserting that Fidan’s diplomas and equivalency certificates were previously made public by the Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) on May 15, 2025. They also added that a related parliamentary inquiry was answered by YÖK on June 12, 2025, and that legal action is underway against those who “deliberately mislead the public.”
In August 2025, veteran diplomat and former Turkish ambassador Namık Tan added his voice to the growing list of critics. In a detailed public statement, Tan emphasized that the questions surrounding Fidan’s degree were not personal but deeply institutional. He argued that this scandal went to the heart of public trust, constitutional equality, and the legitimacy of Türkey’s administrative appointments. Tan warned that YÖK may have confused UMUC with the more respected College Park campus and that, if the equivalency was granted on such a mistaken basis, the credibility of not just Fidan’s diploma but his entire academic record—including his Bilkent degrees—would collapse.
“The diploma shared by the government is not from the University of Maryland, College Park, a recognized research institution, but from UMUC, a distance learning platform designed for U.S. military personnel,” Tan explained. “It does not offer a traditional four-year program and certainly did not offer a ‘Bachelor of Science in Political Science’ in the 1990s. If this diploma isn’t valid in Türkiye,” Tan warned, “then Fidan’s subsequent enrollment in Bilkent University for his master’s and doctorate also becomes legally and ethically questionable.” He added.
The discussion about academic integrity has extended beyond Fidan. Tan has also criticized Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz, highlighting the inconsistencies in the latter’s sociology Ph.D. program.
His remarks underscored a growing consensus: this was no longer an isolated case of academic embellishment. It had become emblematic of the broader erosion of meritocracy and transparency within the Turkish state. When one of the country’s most powerful ministers cannot produce verifiable documentation for his undergraduate education—on which all subsequent qualifications depend—the legitimacy of the government’s hiring and vetting systems comes into question.
The scandal first emerged over two years ago when we raised concerns about his dubious MA and PhD degrees, as well as his carefully crafted career trajectory. Today, it has grown into a nationwide reflection on academic dishonesty, institutional shortcomings, and the political influence on higher education and bureaucracy.
The controversy surrounding Hakan Fidan’s diplomas is no longer just an isolated concern. It now stands as a troubling microcosm of a wider, systemic failure engulfing the Turkish state. The recent digital forgery scandal — described by opposition leaders as the most serious institutional breach in modern Turkish history — has laid bare just how deep the rot has gone. A 35-member criminal network, allegedly operating with stolen digital identities of senior officials, has been accused of forging everything from diplomas to employment records within critical ministries, including police and engineering sectors.
