A new stage unfolding on Erdoğan’s diploma puzzle
SEBAHAT KARAKOYUN
Yet another claim that is making the speculations over the validity of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s university diploma even stronger has been put forth. The Grand National Assembly Office of the Speaker has refuted Marmara University’s claim about Erdoğan’s diploma issue having been cleared out through a parliamentary question during the 24th session of the parliament by stating it is not ‘in the records.’
Controversions over the claims that Erdoğan holds a diploma not only for an undergraduate degree, which is the requisite for taking the position of the President, but also for a graduate degree have not been settled down despite a presentation of a ‘notarized diploma.’
Which one is true?
Acting on the law on right to access information, CHP MP of Ankara, Ali Haydar Hakverdi, had previously called on to the Marmara University Rector’s Office regarding the issue. Then, his appeal of the University’s reply to the Grand National Assembly Speaker’s Office through a parliamentary question received explanations from the Speaker’s Office that furthered the controversies over the issue, bringing forth the question again: ‘Which one is true?’
The University officials had claimed that this issue had been resolved through a parliamentary question brought forth by CHP MP from Mersin, Ali Rıza Öztürk, on 4 June 2014. However, since no official document was found in the archives of the parliament proving this claim, Hakverdi appealed to the Speaker İsmail Kahraman.
Hakverdi’s parliamentary question was responded by Deputy Speaker Ahmet Aydın.
Speaker’s office refuted the University’s claims
Hakverdi’s question followed as such: ‘Had Marmara University’s reply been forwarded to the Grand National Assembly by the Board of Higher Education? If it had, why was it not shared with Mr. Öztürk?’
Deputy Speaker Ahmet Aydın’s response to these questions has sparked further speculations.
Hakverdi had received this reply from Marmara University: ‘Information regarding the questions in your letter had been provided to the Board of Education with our written reply dated as 4 June 2014 as a response to the parliamentary question brought forth by CHP MP of Mersin, Ali Rıza Öztürk, on 25 April 2014; and, through the records of the Grand National Assembly, this question has been publicized.’
However, according to the Grand National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ahmet Aydın, the parliamentary question at stake had not been ‘given a reply within that time period or afterwards.’
Not 4 years, 2 years
Recently, one of Erdoğan’s old pals Abdüllatif Şener has also made comments over Erdoğan’s diploma puzzle, claiming that Erdoğan did not graduate from a four-year higher institution but rather a two-year one.
Meanwhile, speculations and debates about the diploma issue have also found voice over the world media. In Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, the press carried the topic to the headlines. Some of those headlines were: ‘Dubious diploma’, ‘He has 44 honorary PhDs but not even one diploma’, ‘His diploma is older than the university’.