ISTANBUL
A well-known cryptography expert has lost significant academic positions following his outspoken support for Palestinian rights.
In a post on X on Sunday, Cetin Kaya Koc revealed that Springer Nature has terminated him as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cryptographic Engineering, which he founded in 2011.
He added that the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR) has removed him from the steering committee of CHES, the world's second-largest cryptography conference, which he co-founded in 1999.
The scholar publicly attributes these removals to his stance on Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza, highlighting a broader pattern of institutional suppression of pro-Palestinian voices.
“You know the reason—it’s because I support Palestinian rights,” Koc wrote. “I am a supporter of Palestinian rights, and proudly so. No one can change me or challenge me on this.”
Speaking to Anadolu, Koc explained that both organizations expressed concern over his social media posts but refused to specify which ones. “I asked, ‘Which posts?’ They wouldn’t say,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Are these posts degrading to my profession or the organizations themselves?’ They said, ‘No.’ So I asked, ‘Then why do they concern you?’ They told me my posts were against the company’s values.”
“They won’t specify which posts, because they know I could take legal action. That’s why pursuing this legally is so difficult,” he added.
Koc earned his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara, founded the Information Security Lab at Oregon State University, and currently leads Koc Lab while holding positions at several institutions. He emphasized that his advocacy has spanned more than 20 years but believes recent backlash intensified following his statements on Gaza.
He stressed that he does not receive any salary for his role as editor-in-chief of the journal or as a member of the conference steering committee. “I work voluntarily because it’s a professional organization.” Despite this, “they are removing me from that position.”
He added: “So, basically, they’re politely humiliating you” and openly telling him the reason is “your social media posts.”
“Like thousands of other intellectuals, I’ve written and spoken out about the need to recognize the rights of the Palestinian people,” Koc said, adding: “As a global intellectual, I have always written and said that the rights of the Palestinian people must be recognized. What’s happening is genocide.”
Koc also pointed to efforts to undermine the international legal system, highlighting the recent pressure on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Look at what they did — they even schemed to remove the head of the international court. You see what I mean?"
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has come under intense scrutiny amid investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israel.
In May 2024, two ICC employees filed complaints against Khan to the court’s independent oversight body. Shortly afterward, Khan sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes.
Following these events, Khan was placed on leave while the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigated “alleged misconduct by the prosecutor.”
The ICC’s Assembly presidency stated that the inquiry is being carried out “upon request by the presidency of the assembly, after having consulted the bureau of the assembly.”
Khan’s lawyers have denied all allegations, calling them “categorically untrue.”
Drawing parallels with other high-profile academic dismissals, Koc cited the case of Harvard University professor Cemal Kafadar.
“At Harvard, Prof. Cemal Kafadar, who was leading an institute, was removed from his position,” Koc said. “But they didn’t say, ‘You’re too vocal in support of Palestine.’ They just replaced him with someone else. That’s how this works.”
Harvard University removed prominent historian Cemal Kafadar from his role as director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), along with associate director Rosie Bsheer, in late March.
According to a faculty member familiar with the matter, the decision was made by Interim Dean of Social Science David M. Cutler and is believed to be tied to criticism of the center’s programming on Israel and Palestine, as reported by the Harvard Crimson.
Across the US, many students and academics have faced significant repercussions for supporting Palestinian rights. Recent examples include Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia, Rumeysa Ozturk at Tufts, and Momodou Taal at Cornell, amid increased pressure following the Trump administration’s promise to crack down on pro-Palestinian activism.
A report by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) found that between 2020 and 2024, over 1,000 US students or student groups faced disciplinary action for their pro-Palestine speeches, with 63% ultimately punished, highlighting a widespread crackdown on activism.
