Profs Can't Get Cover Story Straight

Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 3 March 2014)


Boğaziçi U. above Rumeli Hisar, in simpler times.

A book prepared for a UNESCO project at Boğaziçi
University in Istanbul has pitted academicians against
one another. Dr. Tahsin Ömer Tahaoğlu, angered that
his name was left off the cover of the book, complained
to the dean that two other academicians had 'stolen his
bread and butter.' The accused academicians, though,
registered a criminal complaint against Tahaoğlu
for his offensive 'slander' against them. 

Prof. Dr. Günay Kut and Associate Prof. Dr. Fatma
Büyükkarcı Yılmaz produced the book in 2007, under
the title "Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research
Institute Historical Documents", for the UNESCO project.
Dr. Tahaoğlu provided support in the preparation of the
book but when he saw that his name was left off the cover
he went ballistic.

Tahaoğlu launched a vitriolic email to the dean, characterizing
his colleagues Kut and Yılmaz as being "plagiarists and
livelihood theives".  In response, Kut and Yılmaz had their
lawyers contact the Istanbul Public Prosecutor office to
file a criminal complaint against Tahaoğlu.

 The two academicians asserted that they themselves had
 prepared the book. They stated that they wanted a case
opened against Tahaoğlu because "by mail he damaged
our professional honor and standing, as well as slandering
and insulting us."

Tahaoğlu was born in Iraq and teaches Arabic.