Famagusta, Cyprus. Yusuf Alemdar, mayor of Sakarya municipality in Turkey, claims to have graduated from Famagusta’s Eastern Mediterranean University, but statements made during a 2014 campus visit have drawn scrutiny of that claim.
The Cyprus Mail has requested evidence of Alemdar’s studies from the Sakarya municipality and sought responses from the university and the north’s higher education accreditation institution, Yodak, without receiving replies.
2014 campus visit and public statements
Alemdar, who leads the Sakarya municipality on Turkey’s Black Sea coast and previously served as mayor of Serdivan, says he obtained a business administration degree from Eastern Mediterranean University.
During an August 2014 visit to the campus, the university’s website reported that Alemdar said he loved the TRNC and had received positive information about the university, adding that he wanted to see it in person to obtain more detailed information.
The same account said Alemdar completed his military service in Cyprus, but it did not reference any past study at the university or elsewhere.
University remarks during the visit
Abdullah Oztoprak, the rector at the time, was quoted as saying the university has many students and graduates from Sakarya, without mentioning any previous studies by Alemdar.
The university also said Oztoprak informed Alemdar about the campus and infrastructure facilities.
Requests for evidence and allegations of missing records
The Cyprus Mail said it contacted the Sakarya municipality to request evidence of Alemdar’s studies and graduation, and made repeated attempts to contact Eastern Mediterranean University and Yodak, but received no response.
Rumours about the veracity of Alemdar’s claims emerged earlier in the week after veteran journalist Levent Ozadam said an academic from Eastern Mediterranean University alerted him to the issue. Ozadam said the academic searched the university’s archives and found no record that Alemdar studied there or obtained a degree from the institution.
What evidence, if any, should public officials provide to substantiate claims about academic qualifications?
