Istanbul University on Monday revoked former mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu’s master’s degree, stripping him of another academic credential.
Imamoğlu, who was arrested last March on charges of corruption, already had his university diploma annulled after it was discovered that he fraudulently transferred himself to Istanbul University.
The Board of the Institute of Social Sciences at Istanbul’s oldest university convened on July 24 to discuss the matter, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported on Monday. Based on the earlier decision to render Imamoğlu’s diploma null and void, the board said that the lack of a diploma also automatically rendered a master’s degree certificate invalid.
The board ruled that Imamoğlu failed to meet the “undergraduate graduation” requirement outlined in İstanbul University’s Student Regulations, published in the Official Gazette on July 6, 1987, due to “deficiencies in the conditions” at the time of enrollment.
The board also ordered the removal of Imamoğlu’s graduation details from the Academic Registration System (AKSIS) and an update to the Higher Education Information System (YÖKSIS). In addition, his thesis will be removed from the Council of Higher Education’s National Thesis Center.
The former mayor’s educational status was completely reverted to high school.
Politicians should complete a university education to run for top office under existing laws. Imamoğlu is declared the future presidential candidate for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which seeks to force the government into an early election.
Imamoğlu testified on March 5 after the Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul launched an investigation into allegations of forgery in his diploma upon tip-offs and a subsequent report by the higher education authority.
Though his lawyers insisted on the authenticity of Imamoğlu’s 1995 diploma, investigators questioned how he could transfer to the prestigious institution from a private university not recognized by the Turkish education authority in the year he was transferred.
The ruling could deprive him of the chance to run for president, who is required to have a university degree, though he can keep his job as mayor.
