İmamoğlu faces up to 8 years in prison over diploma case
İSTANBUL
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is facing up to eight years and nine months in prison, along with a political ban, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of forgery related to his university diploma, according to an indictment.
The probe — one of several targeting the mayor from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) — focuses on suspicions of falsified academic credentials. The mayor has been imprisoned since late March on graft charges.
The investigation gained momentum after Istanbul University in March revoked the diplomas of 28 individuals, including İmamoğlu, citing procedural irregularities.
According to the indictment, the charges stem from İmamoğlu’s 1990 transfer from a university in Turkish Cyprus to Istanbul University.
A report by the Turkish Higher Education Council (YÖK) concluded that the Turkish Cypriot institution he transferred from was not officially recognized at the time. This finding effectively invalidates the transfer and subsequent degree, rendering the diploma “fraudulent,” prosecutors claimed.
The indictment — finalized by the prosecutor's office on July 4 — accuses İmamoğlu of “ successive forgery of official documents.”
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from two years and six months to eight years and nine months, in addition to a political ban.
Under Turkish law, only university graduates are eligible to run for president, with İmamoğlu floated as the CHP’s candidate for the next election.
The case originated from a public complaint filed through CİMER, the Turkish presidency’s online grievance portal, the indictment said.
According to the indictment, the documents İmamoğlu submitted during the transfer process consisted of a promotional brochure and a single transcript from the University College of Northern Cyprus — materials that prosecutors say clearly do not pertain to Eastern Mediterranean University, the institution he claimed to have attended.
Prosecutors further alleged that İmamoğlu used the improperly issued diploma in various official capacities, including during applications for postgraduate studies, military service and election candidacy —constituting repeated acts of forgery.
The indictment also noted that İmamoğlu’s case was separated from those of the other suspects due to the high volume of related allegations.
