ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Turkish university on Tuesday revoked Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s diploma - a move seen by many as geared to prevent the opposition politician from running in the upcoming presidential race. 

Istanbul University cited alleged irregularities in the mayor’s higher education degree, which he had obtained in the early nineties. If the decision is ratified, Imamoglu could be blocked from running in the 2028 presidential elections. The decision comes days before his Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) scheduled meeting, in which he is expected to be named as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rival in the presidential race.

Imamoglu, 53, slammed the university’s decision as “unlawful.”

“They do not have the authority to make such a decision. The authority lies solely with the Board of Directors of [Istanbul University's] Faculty of Business Administration. The days when those who made this decision will be held accountable before history and justice are near. The march of our nation, thirsty for justice, law, and democracy, cannot be stopped,” Imamoglu said in a statement he shared on X. 

The politician is expected to challenge the decision. 

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which backed Imamoglu's mayorship in last year’s local polls, also censured the Turkish university's move. 

“This decision, which lacks legal basis, is a sign of a new wave of lawlessness. The process is not legal, but political. It means instrumentalizing the university for political purposes,” it said, adding that “this mistake must be corrected as soon as possible, and a dark veil must not be allowed to be cast over politics.”

Of note, Imamoglu has previously faced a series of legal challenges, which obstructed his participation in the last presidential race.