Cyprus university confirms Turkish mayor lied about studying there

Famagusta’s Eastern Mediterranean University on Thursday confirmed that Yusuf Alemdar, the Turkish mayor who claims to have studied at it, never did.

“In recent days, various news reports and speculations have been made in our country’s news and media channels regarding whether or not ‘Yusuf Alemdar’ possesses a degree from our university,” the university began.

It said that “to prevent the formation of false impressions in the public and to clarify the matter, we would like to inform the public that ‘Yusuf Alemdar’ never registered with our university, was not a student of ours, and does not possess a degree from the Eastern Mediterranean University”.

“It is also clear from the statements made to the press by ‘Yusuf Alemdar’ that he does not have a degree from the Eastern Mediterranean University,” it added.

Alemdar is the mayor of the Sakarya municipality, which has a population of over a million and is located on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, and claims to have graduated with a degree in business administration.

Rumours regarding the veracity of Alemdar’s claims that he studied in Cyprus arose earlier this week when veteran journalist Levent Ozadam said he had been alerted to the issue by an academic from the Eastern Mediterranean University.

On Wednesday, the Cyprus Mail had uncovered records of a visit made by Alemdar to Famagusta in 2014, at which time he was the mayor of Serdivan – a smaller municipality inside Sakarya – and found that he made no mention of ever having studied there.

He visited the university in August 2014, and, according to the university’s website, “stated that he loves the TRNC very much” and that he had “received very positive information” about the university.

“He added that he wanted to see it in person to obtain more detailed information,” the university added at the time, before saying that he had completed his military service in Cyprus but made no reference at any point to having studied at the university which he was visiting, or anywhere at all.

Abdullah Oztoprak, the university’s rector at the time, said that the university has “many students and graduates from Sakarya” but at no point made any reference to any previous studies undertaken by Alemdar.

The Cyprus Mail had also contacted the Sakarya municipality, which had insisted that Alemdar had studied in Famagusta as late as Wednesday afternooon. 

Questions regarding mayors’ studies in Cyprus are nothing new to Turkish politics, with Istanbul University having last year revoked the degree of the now suspended Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu over the fact that he had begun his university studies at the Girne American University in Kyrenia.

The reason given for the revocation of the degree was that Turkey’s higher education council (Yok) deemed the Girne American University not to be adequately recognised for him to have been able to later transfer to Istanbul.

Imamoglu had attempted to challenge that ruling at Istanbul’s fifth administrative court last month, but the court rejected his case.

He was arrested one day after his degree was revoked, and remains incarcerated at the Silivri prison, having been sentenced to 20 months behind bars in July last year for insulting and threatening Akin Gurlek, who was at the time Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor and was on Tuesday appointed as Turkey’s justice minister.

Imamoglu had accused Gurlek of targeting opposition political figures through “politically motivated” investigations.

In addition, he has been charged with a long list of offences including forgery and leading a criminal organisation. If found guilty on all counts, he could face a sentence lasting more than 2,000 years.

Many in Turkey and further afield have said the revocation of his degree and his subsequent arrest were politically motivated, and his arrest sparked protests across Turkey, with hundreds of Turkish nationals living in Cyprus also taking to the streets.

Days after his arrest, his party the CHP formally nominated him to be its candidate at Turkey’s next presidential election, which must be held before June 2028, and for which it is a requirement for all candidates to hold at least a bachelor’s degree.