Higher education exams investigated amid Gülenist cheating accusations

ANKARA

Police carried out an investigative search at the Student Selection and Placement Center’s (ÖSYM) top secret unit for preparation of questions for Turkey’s central higher education exams, amid accusations of cheating leveled at the movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.

Police investigated the secure room of the question preparation and development unit, as the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into accusations rule-breaking in the 2015 Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Entrance Exam (ALES), which is carried out by ÖSYM. 

Ankara Public Prosecutor Ender Coşkun led the investigation at the ÖSYM unit.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations of cheating regarding the central exams carried out between 2009 and 2014.

Within the scope of the investigation, the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) is accused of leaking questions to its members ahead of the central examinations, in order to infiltrate its members into critical positions within academia and the state.

FETO members allegedly leaked exam questions from secure equipment used to compile all the questions prepared by the unit by backing them up while downloading.

In Turkey, academic personnel and students are obliged to enter the central exam, ALES, in order to become a graduate student or be appointed to universities. All the central exams are prepared and implemented by ÖSYM.