Turkey has initiated another investigation into Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. This time investigators are examining claims that his university diploma is fake and that he “forged” official documents, state-run news service Anadolu Agency has reported.

The probe was announced one day after, on February 21, Imamoglu applied to become the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for president. Imamoglu lately called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to engage in an “honest” fight for the presidency as he accused Turkey’s leader of more than two decades of attempting to manoeuvre him out of politics with judicial conspiracies. 

On March 23, the CHP is set to confirm Imamoglu as its candidate for the presidency.

“This investigation shows how much they fear Imamoglu,” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel was cited by local media as saying in Erzincan on February 22.

The new move against Imamoglu comes as prosecutors investigate leaders of Turkey’s top business association, Tusiad, following a ‘state-of-the-nation’ attack they made on the Erdogan administration in speeches given at their group’s annual assembly. An angered Erdogan warned the Tusiad officials they had “overstepped”.

The latest investigation into Imamoglu is being conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Imamoglu has been asked to attend the office on February 26 to provide a statement.

In January, the Istanbul prosecutor opened an investigation into the mayor after stating the accusation that Imamoglu targeted an expert witness in a speech. He has further been accused of making “threatening” statements against the prosecutor.

In 2022, Imamoglu was convicted of insulting election officials. He is appealing against a sentence that would bar him from political office.

Imamoglu was yet to respond to the claims in the latest investigation.

He has previously denied all allegations made against him in the earlier investigations.

Turkey’s next general elections are scheduled for 2028. However, CHP and Imamoglu are pressing for an earlier vote.

Bloomberg said that Imamoglu’s resume on CHP’s website states that he graduated from Istanbul University’s English Business Administration Faculty in 1994 after switching from a university in Northern Cyprus.

A candidate for the presidency in Turkey must have a bachelor’s degree.