CHP's Emir questions Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's diploma: 'It is not on the lists'

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir held a press conference at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Emir stated the following:

While the economy is in this state, Mr. Hakan Fidan has filed a lawsuit against me, a 200,000 lira compensation lawsuit, and with this lawsuit, he claims that I have attacked his personal rights. Now, I am reading from his claims. The petition for the lawsuit is here, and let us evaluate one by one which of my words he considers an insult within the petition. Cyprus, as we all know, we will state them one by one. Sir, is black money traffic being managed in Cyprus? It is. Is there drug money? There is.

Is betting and gambling being conducted? It is. Who is the person at the head of these? Halil Falyalı. Well, who is Halil Falyalı's partner? Yasin Ekrem Serim, look, there is a document for it. I mean, this document is not one I found; it has been everywhere for 5 years; everyone knows this, everyone knows it. They imposed a publication ban on this. Why?.. So that the partnership between Yasin Ekrem Serim and Halil Falyalı would not be known. But such a reality exists, it is there. Now, you make this person the Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when he has no public duty, and then you make him the Ambassador to Nicosia. If I am not to say this, what am I to say?

I said: 'Look, it is a place where billions of dollars are earned and those sitting in the palace in Ankara receive a share of this dirty money, and they are so fearless and reckless that they would appoint Yasin Ekrem Serim, who partnered with the person managing this black money traffic there, as the Ambassador to Nicosia to receive this share more easily.' Yes, what are we to say?

If you make Halil Falyalı's partner a Chief of Cabinet and then an Ambassador to Nicosia, we will call you reckless, we will call it treason to this homeland, we will call you fearless, and we will ask what your connection is to the black money traffic here. We are not directly implying you, of course, but could such traffic be conducted without the permission of those in Ankara, without those in Ankara receiving a share from it? Are you mocking our intelligence? You will come to court, and you will answer these allegations of mine one by one, but you will do it if you have the courage.

“I REPEAT, YES, THIS IS TREASON”

I said: 'Not a peep when Cyprus is slipping away.' Yes, there is no peep. When four Turkic Republics recognized South Cyprus, there was no peep, you didn't hear, you didn't see; finally, 15 days later, when a real journalist asked, you said, 'this is our family matter.' That is the extent of your seriousness. Am I not to say this? The gentleman is offended by this too; this is also in the lawsuit petition. I said, 'This is treason.' Yes, it is treason, it is treason itself. If you are not careful when appointing an ambassador, if you appoint such problematic people, of course, you will bear the political responsibility. I am a politician, and I will ask this.

"YOU CANNOT SILENCE US, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SILENCE US"

Now there is the cassette allegation. Who brought the cassette allegations to the agenda? The journalist Ayşemden Akın, who brought it to the agenda, and Cemil Önal, whom they call Falyalı's safe. Ayşemden Akın is receiving regular threats, and this person called Cemil Önal was killed in the Netherlands, that is, he was silenced.

Now we are stating the allegations. These allegations exist, but if you cannot explain why you sent Yasin Ekrem Serim there, why you made him an ambassador, and why you suddenly dismissed him along with his father, you will remain under the weight of these allegations. These are political allegations. Instead of answering this, you are thinking about whether you can silence the CHP with courts, with such methods. You cannot silence us, you will not be able to silence us.

“YÖK DOES NOT RECOGNIZE HAKAN FİDAN’S UNDERGRADUATE DIPLOMA”

But let me ask you a real question. Dear friends; you know Hakan Fidan's name is mentioned as a presidential candidate. Why? Because they say the election will be on time in 2028. Well, if the election is on time, then Tayyip Erdoğan cannot be a presidential candidate again. Who is your candidate? You talk about the CHP's candidate from morning till night. Who is your candidate? Hakan Fidan? But don't say I didn't warn you, there might be a problem with Hakan Fidan's diploma as well.

We are looking at Hakan Fidan's own CV at the MIT, his university education is a bit suspicious. It needs to be explained. Why? Because it is stated in his CV that during his NATO duty, he attended a university opened in Germany for soldiers to attend by the University of Maryland. Well, is this university really a university that YÖK recognizes and accepts the equivalence of? We are suspicious... Because we scanned this on e-Devlet. Look, when we enter the University College unit of the University of Maryland on e-Devlet, it says: 'It is not included in the current international lists in our council,' it says.

Now I am asking Mr. Hakan Fidan from here. You have a master's degree, you have a doctorate, but you have to eliminate this hesitation regarding your undergraduate education. You say you went to the University of Maryland University College, but within the data we can reach right now, there is no information that YÖK recognizes this university and that YÖK accepts its equivalence. Everyone is afraid of each other in the unit at YÖK regarding this equivalence. They have devastated the staff there, and everyone is afraid of each other; no one can answer.

I have now asked through official channels, I have submitted a parliamentary question, but you should also come out and say, 'Yes, I went to this university, and at that time it had such and such equivalence,' or as a Foreign Minister, if you tell YÖK, they can easily reveal the equivalence status instantly, whether YÖK really recognizes it, and its relationship during the years you were educated, and you can get rid of this suspicion; you have to get rid of it.