Breaking News: Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma case concludes! Ruling to be announced within 15 days

The 31-year-old university diploma of CHP's presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been imprisoned at Silivri Prison since March 23, 2025, was cancelled on March 18, 2025.

The day of the hearing for the lawsuit filed by İmamoğlu against the cancellation of his university diploma has arrived. The Istanbul 5th Administrative Court will hold the hearing today at the Marmara Closed Penal Execution Institution campus in Silivri.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Allegations had surfaced regarding irregularities in the lateral transfer procedures during İmamoğlu's education at Istanbul University's Faculty of Business Administration, Department of Business Administration in English. In line with these allegations, his graduation and diploma procedures were cancelled by the Istanbul University Board of Directors' decision dated March 18, 2025, and numbered 3/1, on the grounds of "non-existence" and "clear error." The decision in question was taken to the judiciary on the grounds that it was unlawful.

HEARING TO BE HELD AT THE PRISON CAMPUS

The Istanbul 5th Administrative Court, where the case is being heard, had set the hearing date for January 15, 2026, and sent a writ to the prison for İmamoğlu to be present at the hearing. While it was initially expected that the hearing would be held in the courthouse, it was later decided for various reasons that the hearing would be held in one of the courtrooms at the Marmara Prison campus, and a new writ was written to the prison accordingly.

DEFENSE EXPECTED

Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is imprisoned as part of a corruption investigation into the İBB, had previously only been taken out of prison as part of an "espionage" investigation. In today's hearing, İmamoğlu is expected to present his defense regarding his university education and diploma process to the court.

While it is stated that a decision on the merits of the case is not expected at today's hearing, the outcome of the judicial process is of critical importance for İmamoğlu's political future. If the court finds the Istanbul University Board of Directors' action regarding the diploma cancellation to be lawful, Ekrem İmamoğlu will not be able to be a presidential candidate.

TENSION OUTSIDE BEFORE THE HEARING

It was learned that the gendarmerie set up barricades on the road leading to the courtroom. Tension arose after 2 CHP deputies were blocked.

According to Muratcan Altuntoprak, an announcement from a TOMA stated, "Because the courtroom capacity is insufficient, only a certain number of people are being admitted. Please clear this area and do not block the entrance."

It was learned that the TOMA began intervening with pressurized water against those who came to the hearing.

İMAMOĞLU IN THE COURTROOM

CHP Istanbul Deputy Suat Özçağdaş shared the moments when Ekrem İmamoğlu entered the courtroom.

“Bugünlerden geriye,
Bir yarına gidenler kalır
Bir de yarınlar için direnenler...”

Hakikat dört duvar arasına sığmaz. Halkın iradesi tutuklanamaz! pic.twitter.com/Ts0tTo0kDl

— Suat Özçağdaş (@Suat_Ozcagdas) January 15, 2026

Özçağdaş wrote in his post on his X account, "'From these days, what remains are those who go to a tomorrow, and those who resist for the tomorrows...' The truth cannot fit between four walls. The will of the people cannot be imprisoned!"

İMAMOĞLU BEFORE THE JUDGE

The hearing began at 11:40. Ekrem İmamoğlu stated, "I did not come to defend my diploma. I came to explain that the life a young person built by trusting their state is being dismantled retroactively."

Around 11:20, CHP leader Özel entered the courtroom. Minutes later, Ekrem İmamoğlu was brought into the hall and was greeted with applause.

The hearing began at 11:40. Ekrem İmamoğlu stated, "I did not come to defend my diploma. I came to explain that the life a young person built by trusting their state is being dismantled retroactively."

In his statements regarding the action to cancel his diploma, Ekrem İmamoğlu stated that the application file he submitted for the lateral transfer included not only the petition and identity documents but also the official transcript document from the university he came from, saying, "They are all here; clear, official, and documented. I have a passport. I have never failed a course in any of the exams I took. I applied with a grade point average of 2.50 out of four. The documents I submitted to the relevant faculty are clearly included in the attachment to my application petition. The most basic document showing the courses taken by the student and their academic status, namely the transcript, was included in the file completely. I did exactly that," he said.

Explaining that his lateral transfer application was examined by the university, his courses were evaluated one by one, and which courses he would be exempt from and which courses he needed to take were clearly determined, İmamoğlu said that all of these were in the document he presented to the court.

"THIS IS AN EFFORT TO CREATE A VICTIM, CONDUCTED WITH BASELESS ACCUSATIONS"

Ekrem İmamoğlu emphasized that the allegations put forward today, such as "this document was missing" or "this information was not known," have no meaning in the face of the lateral transfer process that was carried out. İmamoğlu stated the following:

"As an administrative court, I find your efforts to ensure the hearing environment important. In terms of the concepts of facilitating and complicating, since I am in Silivri; I must say that I have been following the arrangements made by the prosecutor's office from here with astonishment.

We have entered a new year; I celebrate the new year of our entire country in your presence. Both the world and our country are being tested. This hearing is being held on a day that coincides with the Miraj Kandili. The essence of our religion is to be a good person. I am also a citizen who strives to be a good person myself. We will talk about my 18th year in a moment. I will explain what I did there and what I did to be a good person. We are in a country where immoral practices are carried out today. We see that the judicial harassment we have been subjected to for over a year is on a different dimension.

Because the requested documents are clearly stated in the announcement I showed just now. They were all presented one by one. In summary, everything is in the file. Looking back today and saying, 'information was missing' or 'the university was misled' does not align with either the content of the file or the administrative actions taken by the university at the highest level. This is not a legal assessment; it is an attitude taken with bad intentions. This is an effort to create a victim, conducted with baseless accusations. This is an attempt to set a trap. However, I would like to express clearly that, whoever they are, whatever conditions they are in, like everyone who is subjected to injustice, I will fight for my rights before the law to the end throughout my life. The questioning of this process years later shows that it is not the law, but legal security that has become a subject of debate.

"WHY DID THE ADMINISTRATION, WHICH REMAINED SILENT FOR 35 YEARS, TAKE ACTION EXACTLY AFTER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT?"

Now, beyond the narrative, I want to show the most concrete reality of the file. Do you know what this is? A diploma as pure as my mother's milk. This is my diploma. And today it is said: 'The university will take it back.' Get out of here! Get out of here! This diploma is an official state document that Istanbul University gave with its own will by examining, researching, measuring, and accepting. It has been considered valid for years. It has been accepted in all state institutions for years. Whatever date, signature, and seal are written on it today, that is what it is. I do not accept that a document that has gone through all these processes is ignored. After I announced that I was a presidential candidate, my diploma, which had been valid for 35 years, was cancelled. This is not an assumption. This is not an interpretation. This is a fact fixed by the calendar. I have to ask, why did the administration, which remained silent for 35 years, take action exactly after this announcement?

Now comes the crux of the matter. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent an official letter to Istanbul University on February 24, 2025. This letter is not a warning. This letter is not an audit. This letter is clearly a threat. The letter contains the following expression: 'In order to ensure that the work and transactions to be established by showing the diploma as a basis, in the context of the continued use of the diploma in question (Supreme Election Council and similar), are not unlawful, the necessary actions should be taken as soon as possible...' Now let's read these sentences slowly, word by word. It says 'continued use of the diploma.' Where? A parenthesis is opened: 'Supreme Election Council,' the parenthesis is closed. Do you know what this means? They are clearly saying this: 'This person can become a presidential candidate at any moment with this diploma. Hurry up.' I ask, is there an election on that date? No. So why is a bachelor's degree required? It is required only and only to be a presidential candidate. Article 101 of the Constitution says this. Article 6 of the Presidential Election Law No. 4271 says this. There is one office in Turkish politics where a university diploma is the only determining factor, the Presidency. This condition does not exist for any other duty. That is why this letter specifically says 'diploma that continues to be used' and specifically writes YSK in parentheses.

"THIS IS AN ALARM STATE OF A HEAVY POLITICAL INSTRUCTION"

This is not a legal reflex. This is not an audit. This is an alarm state of a heavy political instruction. It has nothing to do with law, justice, or administrative procedure. This is an attempt to implement a political instruction through the judiciary. It is the helplessness of following that instruction by looking at each other, eavesdropping, and crawling. It is a shameful situation. It says 'take the necessary actions as soon as possible.' It says 'hurry up.' Why? Because they are afraid, it is a shame. It is truly a shame. You don't have the courage. You don't have the courage to fight. You don't have the courage to compete at the ballot box. That's why you need the law. This is not law. This is the pinnacle of the instrumentalization of the law.

Can a prosecutor write a letter to a university and say, 'This person can be a candidate, cancel his diploma'? Can there be such an authority? This is threatening the great Istanbul University through the judiciary. And the mentality that does this will also come out and say 'I did it in the name of the law.' I ask: Am I a man to be feared? Am I a weapon? Am I a threat? No. I am just a politician who wants to appear before the nation and ask for votes from the nation. I am a Metropolitan Mayor who has received the votes of millions in Istanbul and manages Istanbul. What is being done is this: It is an effort to stifle an possibility that could appear before the nation before it is even born, through legal means. Can there be such a mentality? Can it be acceptable for a citizen, an institution, a university to be tried to be brought into line in this way? This is not a practice of a state of law. This is a document of fear and helplessness."

İmamoğlu's statement ended after approximately 1 hour. Then his lawyers took the floor but did not complete their statements. Afterwards, the rectorate's lawyers took the floor in their capacity as the defendant.

'ALTERCATION' BETWEEN İMAMOĞLU AND THE PRESIDING JUDGE

Ekrem İmamoğlu, who returned to the podium around 13:40 to deliver his final remarks, experienced tension with the presiding judge when he turned to the courtroom to speak.

The judge warned İmamoğlu to make his statements while looking at him. İmamoğlu, on the other hand, said "Why?" and stated that he could address his words to everyone in the hall.

Upon this, the presiding judge stated that the addressee was the delegation and that they were the ones who would make the decision. Despite this warning, İmamoğlu continued his speech by turning to his surroundings.

"THIS CASE WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY WITH ITS ABSURDITY"

İmamoğlu stated the following from the podium where he went for his final remarks: "This case is the case that will give the answer to the question of 'whether there is still a state of law in Turkey or not.' This case is the case where the question of 'is the Turkish state of law standing' is being tried, and it will go down in history with its absurdity. It will go down in history like the espionage, forgery, and İBB cases. Whatever decision you make, it will go down in history."

HEARING ADJOURNED

The first hearing of the case has ended. It was noted that the decision would be notified to the parties in writing within 15 days.