"Teach & Release": 7th Grader and His Knockout Spanish Teacher's "Private Lessons", in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 25 September 2024)

              Mandatory learning: "Repeat 4 times!"

Betül Nisa Çelik (28), a Spanish teacher at a private school in 

Istanbul's Gaziosmanpaşa district, also sold bracelets she made

on her social media page.  On 25 December 2023, 7th grader

M.A. sent her a message to add him as a friend.  This began an 

online "friendship" between the two for a number of months,

after which Betül Nisa hanım invited M.A. to her house to 

watch a movie. 

Subsequently, the two met at her house at specific times and

Betül Nisa hanım allegedly "took advantage" of M.A. 

sexually.  M.A.'s father noticed the situation and filed a 

complaint with the public prosecutor after examining his

son's telephone.  With the help of a pedagogue, M.A. related

his relationship with the teacher online and afterwards.  He

said that as of  27 May he would go to the teacher's home to

watch films and have sex four times (!) consensually.  

Betül Nisa hanım was taken into custody and "explained"

that she thought M.A. was 16-years-old but that, in any case,

there was no sexual activity between the two (!).  Nevertheless,

she was jailed and a sentence of 21 years in prison was 

requested by the public prosecutor for "child exploitation".

But after serving 4 months in jail, Betül Nisa hamim was

released on judicial supervision. 

                  Contemplating her lesson plan. 

M.A.'s father Memduh A. lamented that this period of their

lives had been very trying and that they changed M.A.'s 

school and moved to another place to live.  The prosecutor

noted that there had been many sexually-oriented discussions

between Betül Nisa hanım and M.A. and for her to claim she

didn't know he was underage, despite being his 7th grade

teacher (!), was ludicrous. 

In her defense, Betül Nisa hanım stated that "We became

close but there were no sexual relations.  Both he and his

family have been affected by this but so have I.  If I should

be punished so be it.  I regret that it happened."  Her lawyer

related that Betül Nisa hanım had just ended a relationship

when her friendship with M.A. began so it filled a need in

her.

Nevertheless, the court sentenced Betül Nisa hanım to 

14 years 7 months in jail and if this sentence is approved

she will go back to prison.