Two earthquakes of 6.4 and 5.8 magnitudes occurred in Turkey’s southern Hatay province on Monday after the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes earlier this month. 

Soon after the trembling earthquakes, the previous warnings of geologist Celal Şengör went viral on social media. During an interview, Şengör had predicted that an earthquake might occur. He said, “An earthquake with a magnitude of 6 may occur in the region. After major earthquakes, such aftershocks occur. We must be prepared.”

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Who is Celal Şengör?

Celal Şengör was born on March 24, 1955, in Istanbul, Turkey to an immigrant family from Rumelia. His full name is Ali Mehmet Celâl Şengör. 

Şengör graduated from Robert College, Istanbul. Later, he got enrolled at the State University of New York, Albany, where in received his Bachelor of Science in 1978. He also has a Master’s degree in Science and a Doctorate in Philosophy.

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The 67-year-old geologist is currently on the faculty at Istanbul Technical University, Department of Geological Engineering. He is also a (foreign) member of the American Philosophical Society, the United States National Academy of Sciences, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. 

Şengör is the second Turkish prominent professor who is elected as a member by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the first being professor ordinarius Mehmet Fuat Köprülü. He was decorated with the coveted Gustav-Steinmann-Medaille, the highest scientific award by the Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft- Geologische Vereinigung (German Geological Society-Geological Association). 

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The Turkish geologist also writes for a weekly popular science column in the Cumhuriyet, the oldest up-market Turkish newspaper. He was also conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Neuchâtel in 1988. 

He was married to Oya Maltepe ​in 1986 and has one child, Asım Şengör.