Hakan Fidan's future and the diploma crisis: Ankara's political circles are buzzing with these 3 claims!

Striking claims have been made regarding the higher education of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who has recently been frequently criticized by Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel.

CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, retired diplomat Namık Tan, drew attention to Minister Fidan and his deputy Nuh Yılmaz, stating, "There are serious question marks regarding the higher education degrees of both. It is unclear whether the US university that one claims to have graduated from via distance learning has equivalence. There are clear inconsistencies in the other's sociology doctorate, both domestically and abroad."

The Presidency's Directorate of Communications Center for Combating Disinformation denied the claims in a statement. The statement included the following: "Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan completed his undergraduate education in Management and Political Science at the University of Maryland University College during his overseas assignment. Following his undergraduate education, he applied to the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) for equivalence; the Equivalence Certificate stating that he received education equivalent to an undergraduate degree was issued by the decision of the Higher Education Executive Board dated January 15, 1998, in accordance with Articles 3 and 7/p of Law No. 2547."

Following the denial by the Center for Combating Disinformation, CHP's Tan made a new statement, posing 20 questions under the heading "Questions regarding Mr. Hakan Fidan's undergraduate diploma" and made new, noteworthy claims.

According to a report by Nefes Gazetesi, three claims lie behind the emergence of the diploma controversy regarding Fidan.

Here are the claims being voiced about Fidan in Ankara's corridors...

CLAIM 1: Fidan will become the AKP Chairman or presidential candidate in the "post-Erdoğan" era. "Political power centers" within the AKP, wanting to prevent this, want to discredit Fidan.

CLAIM 2: CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, who has faced a significant leadership test following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu and has been touring Turkey for months, wants to create a new agenda and pull Fidan into the political ring.

CLAIM 3: A "discrediting" operation is being carried out to ensure Hakan Fidan is removed from office in the cabinet reshuffle expected in the autumn.