A sensation is being caused in Turkey by information regarding questionable academic credentials of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The opposition speaks of a “credibility crisis in the state,” while the government characterizes the allegations as a “smear campaign.” From the controversial undergraduate degree in the US to graduate studies at Bilkent, the case has evolved into a political thriller that damages Ankara’s image both domestically and internationally.
Turkey: How the fake degree scandal involving Hakan Fidan began
Specifically, the case concerning Turkey’s Foreign Minister began to gain dimensions a few months after his appointment by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in June 2023. Media outlets, such as News About Turkey, had already expressed doubts about his academic path, characterizing his graduate work at Bilkent University as “tailor-made” for his intelligence services career and implying they were not written by him.
“YÖK’ün, Dışişleri Bakanı Hakan Fidan’ın diploma denkliğini kabul ettiğine dönük hiçbir bilgi yok.” iddiası doğru değildir.
Dışişleri Bakanı Hakan Fidan, yurt dışı görevi sırasında University of Maryland University College’da Yönetim ve Siyaset Bilimi alanında lisans eğitimini… pic.twitter.com/hWHiDdK2Mo
— Dezenformasyonla Mücadele Merkezi (@dmmiletisim) May 13, 2025
However, the real “bombshell” came in 2025, when journalist and academic Emre Uslu challenged Fidan’s undergraduate degree from the US itself. The minister claims he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). But during that period, the university did not offer such a program, only a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences.
Later, CHP MP Murat Emir revealed that UMUC is not included in the Higher Education Council (YÖK) equivalency list. He even challenged Fidan to present an official recognition document, which was not done. Instead of responding, the Foreign Minister filed a 200,000 lira lawsuit for defamatory libel.
Denials and political impact
The Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Center for Combating Disinformation rejected the accusations, describing them as a “smear campaign” by the FETÖ network. They even published a YÖK document that, they claim, confirms the legitimacy of Fidan’s academic credentials. “Do not succumb to baseless claims aimed at manipulating public opinion,” they stated characteristically.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Center for Combating Disinformation rejected the accusations, characterizing them as a “smear campaign” by the FETÖ network. At the same time, they published a YÖK document that, according to them, confirms the legitimacy of Fidan’s academic credentials. “Do not succumb to baseless claims aimed at manipulating public opinion,” they emphasized.
However, the opposition connects the case to the broader issue of meritocracy in the country. Former ambassador Namık Tan spoke of an institutional problem, noting that if equivalency was granted erroneously, then the minister’s graduate degrees are also called into question. He also criticized Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz for ambiguities surrounding his doctorate.
It’s worth noting that the case continues to gain greater dimensions, as it is also connected to a recent forgery scandal, in which 35 people with fake degrees in key state positions are allegedly involved.
