Imamoglu’s 'diploma conspiracy' outburst: They will be held accountable

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu has officially launched his legal battle regarding his diploma, which was cancelled on March 18 in a controversial decision.

Imamoglu’s lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, announced that they filed a lawsuit at the Istanbul Administrative Court on May 6 to stay the execution of the diploma cancellation decision and to have it annulled.

Pehlivan pointed out that filing the lawsuit specifically on this date carries symbolic meaning. After all, following Imamoglu’s victory in the 2019 Istanbul elections by a margin of 8 thousand votes, the elections were cancelled by the YSK on May 6, 2019; however, in the re-run elections, he secured a victory against his AKP rival Binali Yildirim by a margin of hundreds of thousands of votes.

''THIS IS A CONSPIRACY, IT IS LAWLESSNESS'' 

Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been held in Silivri Prison since March 23, issued a written statement to the public through his lawyers. Describing the cancellation of his 35-year-old diploma as a "new conspiracy," Imamoglu emphasized that the nation would not remain silent against this practice, which violates the principles of the rule of law.

Imamoglu used the following expressions:

“Those who ignored the national will by cancelling the Istanbul elections on May 6, 2019, are now striving to continue the same lawlessness by cancelling my 35-year-old diploma.

This noble nation, which protected its will in Istanbul and taught the government a lesson at the ballot box, will hold those who orchestrated this diploma conspiracy accountable before history and the law today as well.

My lawyers, knowing the significance of May 6, which holds an important place in the nation’s memory, filed our lawsuit at the Istanbul Administrative Court on the anniversary of this day.”

Emphasizing "Rights, law, and justice" in his statement, Imamoglu called on all citizens to support this process.

Those who ignored the national will by cancelling the Istanbul elections on May 6, 2019, are now striving to continue the same lawlessness by cancelling my 35-year-old diploma.

This noble nation, which protected its will in Istanbul and taught the government a lesson at the ballot box, will hold those who orchestrated this diploma conspiracy accountable before history and the law today as well.

— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) May 6, 2025

News Source: 12punto