Palace Dreams with a Fake Diploma

Fraud used to feel more innocent, it seems. Milkmen who added water to milk, grocers who mixed coloring into paprika powder… 

At least you more or less knew which fraudster you were dealing with. But now? Everything has a fake version. And we have reached such a point that we are unable to distinguish what is real from what is fake.

The ministry publishes lists: fake cheese, fake sausage, fake meatballs… Goodness, Oscar-worthy performances in the food aisle! But it doesn't end with food… Fake religious scholars, fake sheikhs, fake sects… Those who promise plots of land in heaven, those who fleece their followers, “models of humility” and spirituality merchants who ride around in luxury cars… There are even scholars who, excuse the expression, abuse their disciples!

And these now fall into the “classic” category of fraud. The real danger is that even professions we should trust now make us ask, “Really?”

The agenda for weeks: The fake diploma gang.

You pay the money, and presto, a diploma that even appears on e-Devlet is delivered to your hand! 

The profession you want? Go ahead, the menu is wide: Civil engineer, psychologist, doctor, dentist, aquaculture engineer… You can even become a lawyer or a judge with a fake law degree.

But the real bombshell allegation is this: The man got a fake diploma to become a presidential candidate!

Who is this brave(!) entrepreneur?

Abdülhamid Kayıhan Osmanoğlu, the descendant of the Ottomans, whose name caused the fake diploma scandal to explode. The fourth-generation grandson of Sultan Abdulhamid II… 

The gentleman known for his poses in a fez, photos taken in front of the Ottoman tughra, his luxury vehicle, and his assistants rolling out a carpet as he steps out of the car…

According to the testimony of gang leader Ziya Kadıoğlu to the prosecutor's office, the diploma was prepared upon the instructions of Nuri Çelebi, the head of the Alsancak Party. And the gentleman, allegedly, needed this diploma for his “presidential candidacy.”

So, adding starch to cheese, putting pork into meatballs, or circulating counterfeit money are small matters now… The man officially planned to walk to the country's highest office with a fake document!

Of course, these are just allegations for now… Their reality will be revealed by records. But look at this audacity! This is the vision that fills the dreams of “dynasty fans” who sing praises to the Ottomans, are at odds with Republican values, and do not hide their hatred for Atatürk: To become president with a fake diploma!

This crowd takes as their role models the extras jumping around on chairs with axes in their hands, based on history they learned from TV series. It is impossible for them to understand why Atatürk buried the dynasty in history, why he founded the Republic, and why he spent his life for the goal of “contemporary civilization.”

Still, let us remind them: He left behind such a Republic that even Ottoman descendants can dream of becoming president in the system he established. The problem is not that they dream; the problem is that they choose the “fake diploma” path instead of working for it.

It will not happen. You will neither be able to become president, nor will you be able to stand tall with the power of a fake document.

Remember: A fake gold coin given at a wedding might get you through the day, but when the truth comes out, it leaves a lifetime of shame.

The paint of all painted fraudsters will eventually be scraped off one day… And only those who deserve it, those with real value, will find the reward for their worth.