Academic ghostwriting spreads in Türkiye despite legal actions
ISTANBUL
Academic ghostwriting “industry” continues its unavoidable growth in Türkiye, despite the legal actions taken against the suspects who prepare academic thesis and essays in exchange of money, while firms demand an average of 20,000 Turkish Liras, daily Milliyet has reported.
“It will be meticulously completed by our experts without any need for your intervention and delivered to you,” a firm that introduces itself as “thesis counseling center” says to its customers.
Noting that a master’s thesis can be written for an average of 20,000 liras, the firm stated that “the experts who will deal with the thesis will do the necessary research,” but there will be no guarantee of acceptance.
While another firm states that the price is decided according to parameters such as which department the thesis will be prepared for, the content of the thesis and the deadline, it directs customers who contact them to “other firms in the sector” as they are busy until the next January.
Some of the firms that provide services under the name of academic consultancy even offer installments.
Essay-writing has been offered for a long time by individual freelancers via closed networks in Türkiye, but in recent years firms have been more openly advertising “consultancy” services online.
According to the legislation, the work of a student who is determined to have someone else prepare his thesis, homework, or graduation project may be canceled.
The Turkish Penal Code stipulates a prison sentence of up to 5 years for those who commit “fraud.”
