Abuse of power & retaliation
Istanbul University canceled Ekrem İmamoğlu's university diploma days before his arrest, a decision courts have since upheld despite his legal challenge
Confidence: Confirmed · 3 sourcesTurkey · Sep 22, 2026
Subject of this story
Istanbul University
Also named
Affected
Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)
What happened
On March 18, 2025, Istanbul University's management board annulled the bachelor's diplomas of 28 people, including Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, over an allegedly irregular 1990 lateral transfer; his master's diploma was canceled July 24, 2025, and all 28 records were purged from Turkey's national higher-education database (YÖKSİS) by August 2025. A university diploma is a constitutional requirement to run for the Turkish presidency, and İmamoğlu is the opposition's presidential candidate; a Turkish court rejected his challenge to the cancellation on July 25, 2025.
Sources (3)
Anadolu Agencyİstanbul Üniversitesi Yönetim Kurulu, İmamoğlu ile birlikte 28 kişinin lisans diplomasının 18 Mart 2025'te iptaline karar verdi.
SourceMahkeme, İmamoğlu'nun diploma iptaline karşı açtığı davayı 25 Temmuz 2025'te reddetti.
Euronews Türkçeİmamoğlu ile birlikte mezuniyetleri iptal edilen 28 kişinin diploma kayıtları YÖKSİS'ten silindi.
Response
Istanbul University
Statement given
Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.