Famagusta, Cyprus. Eastern Mediterranean University said on Thursday that Turkish mayor Yusuf Alemdar never studied at the institution and does not hold a degree from it.
University statement
The university said that in recent days “various news reports and speculations” had circulated in the country’s media about whether Alemdar has a degree from Eastern Mediterranean University. It said that to prevent false impressions and clarify the matter, Alemdar “never registered with our university, was not a student of ours, and does not possess a degree from the Eastern Mediterranean University”.
The university added that “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”.
Alemdar’s position and claims
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. He claims to have graduated with a degree in business administration.
Reports and earlier visit
Rumours over the veracity of Alemdar’s claims that he studied in Cyprus arose earlier this week after veteran journalist Levent Ozadam said an academic from Eastern Mediterranean University had alerted him to the issue.
On Wednesday, the Cyprus Mail reported it had found records of a visit Alemdar made to Famagusta in 2014, when he was mayor of Serdivan, a smaller municipality inside Sakarya, and that he made no mention of ever having studied there.
The university’s website said Alemdar visited the university in August 2014 and “stated that he loves the TRNC very much” and that he had “received very positive information” about the university. It added that he wanted to see it in person to obtain more detailed information.
The university said at the time that Alemdar had completed his military service in Cyprus, but made no reference to having studied at the university or elsewhere.
Rector’s comments
Abdullah Oztoprak, the university’s rector at the time, said the university has “many students and graduates from Sakarya” but did not refer to any previous studies by Alemdar.
What impact do you think the university’s statement will have on public discussion of Alemdar’s education claims?