Ekrem İmamoğlu, the jailed mayor of Istanbul and a leading opposition figure, has suffered a fresh legal setback after a Turkish appeals court rejected his bid to overturn a ruling that revoked his university diploma, further jeopardising his chances of running for president.
The court found that the earlier decision by Istanbul University to annul İmamoğlu’s business administration degree over alleged irregularities in his transfer from a Northern Cyprus institution was lawful. His legal team has argued that the transfer complied with regulations at the time, but the courts ruled that the claims did not warrant overturning the decision. İmamoğlu’s final option is to appeal to the Council of State, Turkey’s highest administrative court. If the ruling is upheld, he will be barred from contesting the presidency.
The case adds to mounting legal pressure on İmamoğlu, widely seen as a key rival to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He has been in detention since March 2025 on separate corruption charges, which he and his party deny. Prosecutors are reportedly seeking a lengthy prison sentence.
Last year, İmamoğlu was sentenced to an additional one year and eight months in prison for allegedly insulting and threatening a public official, accusations his supporters say were politically motivated.
