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Marrakech – Hundreds of Moroccan graduates are locked in a prolonged standoff with their government over the recognition of degrees obtained in Northern Cyprus.
On Wednesday, a national protest is scheduled outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rabat, marking a precipitous escalation in a dispute that has already produced months of sit-ins and unresolved ministerial promises.
The Coordination of Parents and Students of Northern Cyprus announced the demonstration as a direct response to what it describes as administrative opacity, unjustified delays, and a persistent sense of marginalization. The group says the situation can no longer absorb further delays or sidelining.
At the center of the crisis lies a diplomatic reality largely invisible to the students who chose to study there. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognized internationally by only one country: Turkiye. Morocco does not recognize it as a sovereign state, and no bilateral agreement exists between Rabat and the territory.
Northern Cyprus universities – including Near East University, Cyprus International University, and Eastern Mediterranean University – are accredited by Turkiye’s Council of Higher Education, and their degrees are valid in Turkiye and accepted in some other countries. In Morocco, however, their legal standing has become uncertain.
What makes the situation particularly contentious is that Morocco previously recognized these institutions. Their names appeared in the Official Gazette. Students consulted the Ministry of Higher Education’s equivalence office before enrolling and were told the degrees were valid.
Many families sold property and took out loans based on that assurance. Then, in mid-2024, the recognition was suspended – without a decree, without a press statement, and without public explanation.
The Ministry of Higher Education later indicated that the suspension came at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Â
A parliamentary question was separately filed by lawmaker Jamal Diwany, asking the minister to confirm whether Northern Cyprus degrees – specifically in general medicine and dentistry – were truly being rejected, and to publish a list of recognized institutions. The question remains unanswered to date.
The crisis affects an estimated 3,500 students and graduates, concentrated in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, and architecture. Without equivalence, they cannot access public sector employment or continue postgraduate studies in Morocco. Private employers have also shown reluctance to hire them.
Many students had enrolled in Northern Cyprus after leaving Ukraine following the outbreak of war there, redirected through administrative channels before finding themselves in a new dead end.
The territory’s de facto status had made it a notably affordable alternative, with tuition costs running between $3,000 and $6,000 per year – a fraction of what comparable programs cost elsewhere in Europe – drawing students who saw it as a practical path to degrees in medicine, engineering, and other competitive fields.
The last equivalence approvals are reported to date back to early 2024, leaving subsequent graduates in limbo. Internal sources suggest fewer than 30% of applications have been approved since 2023.
The coordination is demanding the immediate resumption of pending file processing, a clear official position on the status of the relevant universities, and improved institutional communication to prevent new students from enrolling without understanding the administrative constraints they face.
