Turkish academic facing prison for likening universities to ‘brothels’

A Turkish prosecutor has called for a jail sentence of up to one year for an academic on charges of “degrading a segment the public,’’ following his remarks labelling the country’s universities as “brothels,” Birgün newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Professor Ebubekir Sofuoğlu, an instructor at the history department of Sakarya University, sparked public outrage over his remarks on a television programme in December, when he blasted Generation Z over their values and dismissed universities attended by the group.

The professor will be tried as part of an investigation into the comments, led by Istanbul’s Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s office, over violating Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, Birgün said.

“They are all almost like brothels,” Sofuoğlu said, with  “no exceptions,’’ referring to higher education institutes of Turkey today, while stressing the failure of the universities to contribute to the cities in which they are located.

Sofuoğlu’s remarks prompted reactions from top-level presidency officials, including Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın and Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, who announced an investigation would be started over the statements.