İstanbul Aydın University has fired an academic due to controversial remarks made during a TV program in which he seemingly advocated teenage pregnancy, causing public outrage in Turkey, local media outlets reported.
During a recent program on the pro-government Akit TV, Professor Muttalip Kutluk Özgüven said the “between the ages of 13 and 17 is the ideal time to give birth. A person at this age is a super woman.” He said girls at this age have the perfect body for childbirth.
Özgüven’s remarks led to a public outcry, with many accusing him of promoting child abuse and teenage pregnancies in a country where such incidents are already common.
In the wake of the public criticism, Aydın University announced that Özgüven had been fired due to his remarks that “do not comply with the values of the university and are unacceptable.”
All individuals under the age of 18 are considered children by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to medical experts, early motherhood increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth and also increases the rate of maternal mortality.