Stockholm University's rejection of Fatma Zehra Solmaz cited as 'direct discrimination' in new ombudsman ruling
Stockholm University has been found guilty of discrimination after it rejected the internship application of a Turkish student, Fatma Zehra Solmaz, citing Türkiye's objections to Sweden's NATO membership, according to the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (DO).
The rejection in 2022 drew significant attention and led to an official apology from the university.
Solmaz, a third-year psychology student at that time at Istanbul's Ibn Haldun University, applied for a summer internship at Stockholm University as part of the Erasmus+ program.
On Nov. 23, 2022, she reached out to Professor Per Carlbring, who leads a clinical psychology research group at the university, expressing interest in participating in a research project he was overseeing.
However, in an email response sent just hours later, Carlbring informed Solmaz: "I would love to host you. However, since Turkey does not allow Sweden to join NATO, I have to decline. Sorry!"
The rejection, citing Türkiye's opposition to Sweden's NATO membership, left Solmaz stunned. In an interview with TRT World, she expressed her shock, saying: "After getting this answer, I was simply shocked. It took me a long time to process it."
Following this, Solmaz filed a formal discrimination complaint with the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (DO) on Dec. 5, 2022, alleging ethnic discrimination.
- University's response
About the incident, Solmaz told Anadolu: "The head of the department apologized to me and said he had spoken to the person (Carlbring). However, I asked what concrete steps would be taken. They didn't answer. 'We're taking action, necessary actions have started," they said later.
"When I asked the university to provide me with evidence, document it, and (said I) expect a formal apology from the person, I didn't get a response. Still (there's been) no apology."
Stockholm University's deputy head of the Psychology Department, Torun Lindholm Ojmyr, later issued an apology on Dec. 6, 2023, acknowledging the professor's actions as "inappropriate and unprofessional."
The university also stated that it had taken internal measures to address the incident, expressing regret and admitting that the academic had handled the situation poorly.
Fredrik Jonsson, head of the Psychology Department, remarked: "As soon as we learned about this issue, we acted and handled it according to our routines."
- Ombudsman's investigation, findings
On Dec. 17, 2024, the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (DO) issued its formal decision in Case Number: DO 2023/3216.
The investigation concluded that Stockholm University had indeed violated the prohibition against discrimination, specifically discrimination based on ethnic affiliation.
The DO determined that the response from Professor Per Carlbring caused Solmaz discomfort, a form of disadvantage under Swedish law.
The response linked the rejection to political tensions, thereby violating principles of equal treatment, the ombudsman stressed, adding: "Professor B's response resulted in A being treated worse than a hypothetical person with a different national affiliation, which constitutes direct discrimination."
The DO also rejected Stockholm University's claims that the response was merely a "careless remark."
The university argued that Carlbring lacked the capacity to accept interns at the time, but the DO found no evidence of an objective assessment of Solmaz's application.
The DO concluded that Stockholm University, through the actions of Professor Carlbring, subjected Solmaz to direct discrimination based on her presumed ethnic affiliation.
Since Professor Carlbring acted on behalf of the university, Stockholm University itself was held responsible for the discriminatory response.
- Legal context
Under the Discrimination Act, employers in Sweden are prohibited from disadvantaging individuals based on ethnic affiliation, including presumed national origin.
The DO decision is not legally binding but provides grounds for Solmaz to pursue compensation through a district court.
- 'Deeply upsetting'
Speaking to Anadolu, Solmaz said she applied to several professors simultaneously on the same day, and one of them accepted.
"I had received my acceptance before I had even filed the complaint," Solmaz said, describing the incident as deeply upsetting, though she added that she remains committed to her academic aspirations.
The university statement, on the other hand, said: "The university has also urgently apologized to the person and has already in December last year offered help in trying to find another internship at our university."
"You do not accept such an answer from a professor. It was shocking," she said in an exclusive interview with Anadolu shortly after the DO's decision on the incident. "And it was actually very saddening for me."
"But after receiving such an answer, I thought that, well, these people that have the highest education level, they can still discriminate against me solely because of my political background. Which is unrelated to me. But it's not your political background."
- Türkiye's condemnation
The case has drawn international attention, especially from Türkiye, where the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye (TIHEK) condemned the incident as a violation of basic human rights.
"In a democratic society founded on pluralism, tolerance, and respect, it is unacceptable to treat someone differently based on their ethnic origin," TIHEK stated.
Sweden's NATO membership bid, which Türkiye delayed due to concerns over Sweden's stance on terrorism, forms the backdrop of this discrimination case.
Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, conditioned its approval on Sweden addressing issues related to the terrorist groups PKK and FETO.
The Swedish government's perceived leniency toward these groups, particularly the PKK, was a key factor in Türkiye's opposition to Sweden's accession.
But, after a series of negotiations and resolutions of objections from other NATO members, Sweden agreed to implement measures to address Türkiye's security concerns, leading to the eventual approval of its membership.
On March 7, 2024, Sweden's accession to NATO was finalized, and it officially became the alliance's 31st member.
