Women’s organizations angered by scientist’s abuse confession

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s leading women’s associations strongly condemned scientist Celal Şengör who confessed to abusing one of his female students at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).

“She made me so furious that I lifted Saniye’s [the student] skirt and gave a smack on her butt,” the 66-year-old geologist said in a Zoom meeting uploaded on the internet on Aug. 20.

The footage was shared by thousands on social media on Sept. 16 and leading women’s organizations asked the university board to dismiss the professor.

“She was horrified. I saw her looking at me. I said, ‘Did your father do this to you?’ She said, ‘No.’ Then I said, ‘Loose end, now mission complete,’” the professor said in the footage.

One of the women’s associations, which condemned the incident, was the Women Solidarity of İTÜ. The association brought out a statement on Sept. 17, asking the university board to part ways with Şengör.

“We do not want this man, who thinks he ‘disciplines’ us and legalize abuse and rape, in our university,” the statement said.

The students’ union of the university also made a statement declaring their support to the association.

Recently, Şengör was criticized for the words he said on a live TV show, saying, “I saw a beautiful girl in the library. She was wearing a short skirt and had nice legs. To see her well, I went near.”