Turkish authorities are examining documents, especially the diploma of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, to determine whether he forged the document or not.
By next Monday, Istanbul University’s School of Public Administration in Turkey is expected to cancel Imamoglu’s degree, as revealed by the pro-government Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.
The university is expected to complete the report on his diploma and send it to the School of Business Administration, whose administration will issue the decision on the validity of the diploma.
The mayor of Istanbul is facing charges of forging official documents based on a report prepared by the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YOK).
According to the report, Imamoglu’s transfer in 1990 to Istanbul University’s School of Business Administration from a university in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyppus was not legal and therefore his degree should be annulled.
If his diploma is revoked, Ekrem Imamoglu will not be able to be a candidate for president of the country in the upcoming presidential elections, as a higher education degree is a requirement to compete for this position.
The main opposition’s strongest candidate for the presidential elections in Turkey is facing a series of trials, where he risks prison sentences of up to 23 years, while to date he has been asked to have his political rights revoked 5 times.
On March 23, internal elections will be held in the CHP to select the party’s candidate for the next presidential election, which, if not held early, is scheduled to take place in 2028.
The strongest candidate to face incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the opposition is Ekrem Imamoglu. However, pending legal cases make his future and that of his party uncertain.
Speaking at an inauguration ceremony in Istanbul on Friday, Ekrem Imamoglu said they would not be able to win and called on President Erdogan to face him bravely at the ballot box.
“They think they will stop Ekrem, they will stop him, they will do one thing or another… But not a single hair on my head moves. The cowards are trying to scare us. We are not afraid, we are not afraid of anyone. All we are looking for is the ballot box. Let’s settle the score, let’s settle the score with courage. We are not afraid, we are only looking for the ballot box. I took the path to the presidency with determination. They will not be able to stop Ekrem. After March 23, we will all celebrate Eid al-Fitr (the holiday of Ramadan) together in an enthusiastic atmosphere of celebration,” he said.
(A2 Televizion)
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