Turkish lawmaker questions parliament over fake equivalency and diploma fraud

A Turkish lawmaker has formally questioned the government about a widespread fraud scheme involving fake equivalency and diploma certifications. The inquiry, initiated by Prof. Dr. Kayıhan Pala, a Member of Parliament from the Republican People's Party (CHP), targets the Ministry of National Education.

The parliamentary questions arise from a Cumhuriyet newspaper report that exposed individuals securing placements in prestigious faculties like medicine, law, pharmacy, dentistry, and engineering using fraudulent equivalency and diploma documents, despite never having studied abroad. The report highlighted that 419 such cases were approved during the period of 2016-2020.

MP Pala's questions probe the progress of administrative investigations into public officials implicated in this organized fraud, asking how many have been suspended or dismissed. He specifically seeks details on personnel within the Bursa Provincial and District Directorates of National Education, where 83 fraudulent cases were concentrated, and the administrative sanctions applied to them. Furthermore, he inquires whether a more comprehensive retrospective review of all foreign equivalency files is underway, given that 419 out of 450 examined files were found to be irregular.

The lawmaker also seeks to know how many individuals who gained university admission through these fraudulent equivalency documents have since graduated and begun practicing professions like medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or law. He asks if coordinated efforts are being made with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, and relevant professional organizations to revoke their diplomas and practicing licenses. Finally, Pala questions whether new automation, data integration, or legislative amendments have been implemented to mandate the use of police entry/exit records as a mandatory control parameter for foreign high school diploma equivalency processes to prevent future abuses.