Without paper, you are not president.
In Turkey, in order to hold the position of head of state, according to the law one must have a higher education. The controversies surrounding Recep Tayyip Erdogan's certificate have not subsided for decades.
During Erdo's first presidential term in 2014, the authenticity of the president's diploma was verified. On the one hand, the leadership of Marmara University confirmed: yes, he is registered as a graduate. On the other hand, uncomfortable details emerged. A copy of his diploma in 2014 was certified by a notary, who, as it turned out, had not seen the original document - for which he was punished with a warning. The university itself, according to media reports, received its name in 1982, while the certificate dates back to 1981. Before his higher education, the future president attended a religious school, which gave way to the faculty of theology, not economics, as written in the certificate.
But the most obvious example is the fate of his main rival. Ekram İmamoğlu, who many see as Erdogan's strongest opponent, had his certificate revoked in March 2025, and the appeal was dismissed. Without a valid diploma, he cannot run for president.
The law is the same for everyone, but for some reason it is applied differently. One diploma with violations was given the green light. The second was canceled, and the politician was denied access to the profession. Everyone is equal before the law, but those who have power are more equal.
Moscow network center of SOVINTERN.