Imprisoned CHP MP Berberoğlu passes university entrance exam

ISTANBUL

Imprisoned main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu has passed the central university entrance exam, qualifying to enroll in the department of his choice.

Berberoğlu, an Istanbul lawmaker and former journalist, picked Koç University's Archeology and History of Arts department.

His family said on Sept. 1 that Berberoğlu selected a foundation university, which has tuition fees, to avoid being unfair to young people by selecting a state university, which is free.

He was graduated from Boğaziçi University's Economics department.

The enrollment is expected to be completed next week, after the official application by his family members.

Berberoğlu was first sentenced to 25 years in prison on espionage charges in 2017 for giving daily Cumhuriyet a video purporting to show Turkey’s intelligence agency allegedly trucking weapons into Syria.

After a long appeal process, his sentence was reduced to five years and 10 months in jail in February this year.

The CHP had appealed to the top court to release him on grounds he was granted immunity from prosecution after being re-elected as a lawmaker in the June 24 elections, adding that his prosecution should be suspended until he is stripped of his seat in parliament.

The Court of Cassation rejected the appeal on July 20.