Reports of questionable qualifications of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan are causing a stir in Turkey, with the opposition calling it a “crisis of credibility of the state” and the government blaming the allegations on a “smear campaign”.

From the controversial undergraduate degree in the US to postgraduate degrees at Bilkent, the case has turned into a political thriller that is hurting Ankara‘s image at home and abroad.

The case involving Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan began to take shape a few months after he was appointed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan in June 2023. Media outlets such as News About Turkey, had already expressed doubts about his academic record, calling his master’s theses at Bilkent University “tailor-made” for his career in the intelligence services and suggesting that they were not written by him.

The real “bombshell” came in 2025, when journalist and academic Emre Uslu questioned Fidan’s own undergraduate degree in the US. The minister claims he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). However, at that time the university did not offer such a program, only a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences.

CHP MP Murat Emir then revealed that UMUC was not included in the Higher Education Council’s (YÖK) equivalency list. He even challenged Fidan to present an official recognition document, which was not done. Instead of a response, the YUUC filed a £200,000 lawsuit for libel.

Official denials and political impact

The Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Turkish Anti-Disinformation Center have rejected the accusations, calling it a “smear campaign” by the FETÖ network. They even published a YÖK document which they claim confirms the legitimacy of Fetan’s qualifications. “Do not succumb to baseless allegations aimed at manipulating public opinion,” they said.

However, the opposition linked the case to the general issue of meritocracy in the country. Former ambassador Namik Tan cited an institutional problem, pointing out that if parity was wrongly given, then the minister’s postgraduate qualifications are also in question. At the same time, he criticized Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz for ambiguities surrounding his doctorate.

The case is growing in magnitude as it is also linked to a recent forgery scandal, which allegedly involved 35 people with fake degrees in key government positions.