Nicosia, Cyprus. A court on Thursday heard allegations that north’s ‘parliament speaker’ Ziya Ozturkler used his influence to secure a degree for Fatma Unal and later facilitated ‘TRNC’ citizenship for a Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University official.
The claims were contained in a written witness statement by Serdal Gunduz, former secretary-general of Morphou’s Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University (KSTU), read out during proceedings in the case in which Unal is on trial.
Witness statement read out in court
Gunduz, who was sentenced in November last year to 15 years in jail for his role in the “fake diploma scandal”, alleged that Ozturkler, while serving as ‘interior minister’, told him by phone to issue a diploma to Unal.
Gunduz’s statement said Ozturkler called and told him: “give Fatma Unal her diploma and have her graduate”.
According to the statement, Ozturkler then referenced a citizenship application for KSTU vice rector Serdal Isiktas that was awaiting his signature. Gunduz said he responded that the relevant department was under Isiktas’ supervision.
Gunduz stated that Ozturkler told him Unal was “very powerful within the UBP” before ending the call. The UBP is the north’s largest political party, and the party to which Ozturkler and ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel belong.
Claims on citizenship process and ministry involvement
Gunduz’s statement said that after Unal’s graduation, Isiktas’ citizenship application process and that of his wife were completed. He wrote that when he asked Isiktas how he obtained citizenship so quickly, Isiktas said, without naming names, that he received support from someone inside the UBP.
Gunduz also wrote that Isiktas said he was helped by “a man named Erhan Akar who works at the interior ministry”.
Akar was hired by Ozturkler as director of the north’s migration department in 2022, and was later appointed as director of then Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s press office in April last year. He was later relieved of his duties by Tatar’s successor Tufan Erhurman last November.
Timeline cited in statement
The statement cited that Akar was hired on September 13, 2022, the KSTU online database was altered to show that Unal had graduated on September 22, 2022, and Isiktas was naturalised as a citizen of the ‘TRNC’ on November 8, 2022.
What do you think these allegations mean for public trust in the north’s institutions?
