Investigation into Celal Şengör: Up to 2 years in prison requested

Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör, one of Turkey's leading geoscientists, has come under the radar of the judiciary due to a speech that went viral on social media. Following Şengör's harsh criticisms of the Turkish people, an investigation was launched by the Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

STATEMENTS IN THE INDICTMENT

According to a report by the Sabah newspaper, the indictment prepared against Şengör cites statements he made during a speech in Istanbul on November 20, 2024, as evidence. The indictment included the following words:

"Turkey is a tiny, makeshift country. It is one of the most primitive countries I have seen in the world. I have not known a society as ignorant and as devoid of the concept of morality as the Turkish people... Today, the average IQ of the Anatolian Turk is 86, while the normal human IQ is 90. In other words, you are in the position of a mentally disabled nation in the statistics."

INVESTIGATION PERMISSION GRANTED BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

In the investigation initiated following citizen complaints regarding the aforementioned statements, official permission to investigate was obtained from the Ministry of Justice's General Directorate of Criminal Affairs on May 12, 2025.

The indictment states that in his defense, Şengör claimed his words were based on scientific data. However, the prosecutor's office assessed that these remarks drew significant public backlash and that the expressions exceeded the limits of criticism.

The prosecutor's office stated that Şengör's words were "aimed at degrading the Turkish Nation, and were of a belittling and insulting nature," and requested a prison sentence of up to 2 years for the crime of "publicly degrading the nation" in accordance with Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

News Source: 12punto