Court date set for e-signature fake diploma scandal: 199 defendants to face trial

In the case filed against 199 individuals regarding allegations that fake diplomas and driver's licenses were issued by copying the e-signatures of high-level public officials, the defendants will appear before the judge on September 12, 2025.

In the first phase of the investigation, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against 134 suspects. The second completed indictment included 65 suspects.

A total of 199 suspects were included in the indictments regarding the allegations.

TWO SEPARATE INDICTMENTS PREPARED

It was requested that criminal proceedings be initiated against the suspects for "violating the Law on the Organization and Duties of the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM)," "forgery in electronic certificates," "obstructing, disrupting, destroying or altering the system," and "unlawfully providing or obtaining data."

In the two separate indictments prepared, the details of how the suspects created the e-signatures were revealed. The indictments determined that the suspects copied the e-signatures belonging to the President and Vice President of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), the Head of the Education and Training Department of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the Head of the National Education Department, and the Heads of Student Affairs Departments or personnel from 15 different universities.

Following the first indictment submitted regarding the 134 suspects, the second indictment was also submitted to the same court. The Ankara 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance decided to merge both files. All defendants will appear before the judge on September 12, 2025.

The prosecutor's office is continuing its investigation into some suspects whose files have been separated; therefore, it was reported that the number of suspects may increase.

News Source: 12punto