A professor in the communications faculty at Istanbul Bilgi University, in Turkey, was dismissed after allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a lecture, Turkish Minute and the Hurriyet Daily News reported. Zeynep Sayin Balikcioglu was dismissed from the university after pro-government media outlets reported alleged remarks she made criticizing the Turkish president as “vulgar” and “rude.”

Insulting the president is a criminal offense punishable by up to four years in prison in Turkey. Balikcioglu's dismissal comes amid a larger crackdown on academics and free speech in Turkey.