Ekrem Imamoglu's diploma cancellation lawsuit begins

WISE NEWS PRESS / ISTANBUL, TURKIYE

The first hearing of the lawsuit filed by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu regarding the retroactive cancellation of his undergraduate diploma 31 years after graduation is set to begin Thursday at Silivri Prison.

The case, which is being handled by the Istanbul 5th Administrative Court, will take place within the courtroom located inside the Marmara (Silivri) Closed Penal Institution where the mayor is currently detained. According to judicial sources, the court decided to move the hearing to the prison complex due to capacity limitations at the administrative courthouse, lack of a proper microphone system, and logistical challenges regarding the detention status of the plaintiff.

Legal challenge against retroactive cancellation

Istanbul University’s Board of Directors decided on March 18, 2025, to cancel the undergraduate diplomas of 28 individuals, including Imamoglu. The university alleged that an irregular lateral transfer was made from Girne American University to the Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration’s English program in 1990. The institution ruled that the graduations were "null and void" due to "manifest error" and moved to revoke the degrees.

Imamoglu was detained at his home in Istanbul on March 19, 2025, just one day after the cancellation decision, as part of a wider investigation. His legal team officially filed the lawsuit against the cancellation on May 6, 2025. Notably, the lead attorney who filed the case, Mehmet Pehlivan, was also subsequently arrested during the ongoing investigation.

Procedural changes and judicial shifts

The judicial process has faced several procedural shifts since its inception. On May 22, the administrative court requested all documents and evidence supporting the cancellation from Istanbul University. However, the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) removed the President of the 5th Administrative Court, Recep Sendil, and a senior judge, Gun Yazici, during the June 20, 2025, summer decree.

The newly appointed judicial panel rejected a request for a stay of execution regarding the diploma cancellation on July 30, 2025. Thursday's hearing at Silivri will focus on the merits of the cancellation and the legality of revoking a degree three decades after its issuance.

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