Student Arrested for Attempted AI‑Assisted Cheating in Turkey's YKS Exam
In Istanbul’s Çekmeköy district, 20‑year‑old student Mustafa Eren K entered the university entrance examination (YKS) with a concealed mobile phone. During the test he photographed pages of the question booklet and tried to upload the images to an artificial‑intelligence application to obtain answers. Invigilators noticed his behavior, seized the phone and stopped him. The police detained the candidate and the Istanbul Anatolian Criminal Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation. He was charged under the law governing the organization and duties of the Measurement, Selection and Placement Authority and was ordered to be held in custody pending trial.
The incident, reported on 21 June 2026, highlights concerns about the misuse of AI tools in high‑stakes examinations and has prompted calls for stricter monitoring and penalties for exam fraud.