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Three years after the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye, a criminal case over forged university diplomas has revealed that the records of three lawyers who died in the disaster were allegedly stolen and altered, turning a large-scale tragedy into part of a wider fraud investigation.
According to information shared by the Turkish Bar Association, known internationally as the national umbrella body for lawyers in Türkiye, a total of 15 law faculty graduation certificates were allegedly tampered with by defendants in a so-called fake diploma case. Among these documents, three reportedly belonged to lawyers who lost their lives in the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaras.
The association’s president, Erinc Sagkan, said the suspects were accused of deleting the original university enrollment records of the deceased lawyers from official systems and replacing them with the records of individuals seeking fraudulent diplomas. The case focuses on allegations that fake electronic signatures were used to obtain counterfeit university diplomas and to alter academic grades.
The indictment prepared by prosecutors went beyond technical forgery claims and pointed to what it described as deeply troubling behavior.
Investigators stated that the suspects allegedly obtained lists of lawyers who died in the earthquakes in Hatay, Kahramanmaras, and Malatya, circulated those lists among themselves, and exchanged messages that appeared to mock the deaths of respected legal professionals, even while offering sarcastic expressions of condolence.
One of the lawyers whose diploma records were allegedly altered was Nesibe Kaya Zabun, a graduate of Gazi University Faculty of Law. She died with her lawyer husband Ahmet Can and their 6-month-old baby, Asude, when the Ezgi Apartment building collapsed in Kahramanmaras.
In the criminal case related to that building, 12 defendants are on trial, including two who are currently in custody and one who remains at large.
Another victim was Bestami Ugur Alkan, also a Gazi University law graduate. He died with his wife Ozge and their 12-day-old baby Arven in the collapse of the Firuz Mutlu Apartment building in Hatay. Five defendants are being tried without detention in the case linked to that building.
The third lawyer named in the investigation was Ali Mert Ince, a trainee lawyer and a graduate of Inonu University Faculty of Law. He died in Malatya when the Guner Sitesi complex collapsed, along with his mother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, and cousin. In the case concerning that site, seven defendants have already received prison sentences ranging from eight to 12 years.
As the anniversary of the Feb. 6 earthquakes marks three years since one of the deadliest disasters in Türkiye’s modern history, the fake diploma case has brought renewed attention to how the aftermath of the tragedy continues to unfold in courtrooms.
Prosecutors argue that the alleged manipulation of the academic records of deceased lawyers represents a serious breach of public trust, combining identity theft, digital forgery, and the exploitation of earthquake victims.
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