Istanbul University Revokes Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu’s Degree, Threatening Presidential Bid

On Tuesday, Istanbul University declared that Ekrem Imamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and a potential presidential candidate, had falsely obtained his degree.

The university announced on X that the degrees of 28 graduates, including Imamoğlu, would be revoked and nullified due to “obvious error.” This decision followed an investigation by Istanbul’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office, initiated after tip-offs and a report from the higher education authority, which questioned the legitimacy of Imamoğlu’s 1995 diploma. The probe, during which Imamoğlu testified on March 5, focused on his transfer from an unrecognized private Turkish Cypriot university to the prestigious Istanbul University—a move investigators found suspect.

Imamoğlu’s legal team defended the diploma’s authenticity, but the ruling could bar him from running for president, a position requiring a university degree, though it does not affect his current role as mayor. Now in his second term leading Türkiye’s largest city, Imamoğlu is expected to challenge the decision in court. As the sole candidate in the Republican People’s Party (CHP) primary, he aims to lead an early election bid to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

Facing multiple lawsuits, including charges of insults and corruption, Imamoğlu told prosecutors he began studying business administration at a Turkish Cypriot university in 1988. He learned of peers transferring to Turkish universities a year later and applied to Istanbul University in 1990, following standard procedures. When questioned about whether Necmettin Karaduman, a former Parliament speaker and prominent political figure, facilitated his transfer, Imamoğlu dismissed the suggestion, stating Karaduman was simply a family friend.