Journalist Sefa Karahasan* found himself facing the Güzelyurt District Court after being arrested in connection to the fake diploma investigation at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University (KSTU), Yeniduzen reports.
Karasan is on the Board of Trustees at the Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University.
Giving evidence at court, Police officer Ali Erdelhun stated that Karahasan was detained for allegedly instigating the production of forged documents.
Investigations revealed that Karahasan had enrolled in the school system on February 1, 2021, and purportedly graduated from the Business Department on May 31, 2023, falsely claiming four years of education when he should have graduated in the fall of 2025.
Officer Erdelhun also mentioned that Karahasan confessed to engaging in these activities alongside General Secretary and junior partner at KSTU Serdal Gündüz, who is currently in prison.
Requesting a three-day detention, Erdelhun emphasised that the investigation is ongoing.
The court, acknowledging the ongoing investigation, granted a three-day detention order against Karahasan.
A number of high profile individuals including former education minister Kemal Dogru, are among those arrested in connection with the fake diploma scandal. This event has shed more light on allegations of corruption at institutes of higher education.
On May 1, Education Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu was questioned in parliament about the diploma scandal, it was pointed out that there had been no action taken by the government.
The education minister responded by saying, “Those who need to be punished will be, those who need to be dismissed from their jobs will be, and those who need to be demoted will be ”.
Çavuşoğlu also disclosed that a letter cancelling the opening permit for Mesarya University had been sent and that the files of other universities with opening permits were with the Prosecutor’s Office.
*Sefa Karahasan, who was born in Giresun-Bulancak, started his journalism career in June 1998 as Milliyet News Agency Bulamak Reporter. He then worked as a reporter at Milliyet News Agency between 1998-2000 and at Doğan News Agency between 2000-2001. Karahasan, who served as Milliyet Cyprus Representative between 2003 and 2017, held the positions of Editor-in-Chief and News Director in various channels and newspapers in North Cyprus. Karahasan, who is a member of the Turkish Journalists Association, Northern Cyprus Press Council, Basın-Sen, Trabzon Journalists Association and Foreign Press Association, received a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
He was arrested on the charge that the doctorate degree he received from Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University was fake. [Ed.]
