At the time, Koc's son told the Gazette, "Lately, Turkey has been not quite understood by the West--there is often a question in Westerners' minds about which direction Turkey will eventually take. We think it is important that Harvard--as a center of excellence--lead the way with research and teaching about the realities of Turkey today."

The Turkish government "provided additional support for the professorship," the Gazette says.

Elsewhere, professorships funded by the Turkish government have been controversial. At Princeton, the Ataturk Professorship in Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies has drawn strong reaction from alumni, according to Princeton's daily newspaper.

In a deed of gift, the Turkish government specified the conditions of its $750,000 donation, which was matched by private donors. The professor should have "a direct knowledge of Turkey and Turkish studies and whose published works are based on extensive utilizations of archives and libraries in Turkey," says the document, as quoted in the Daily Princetonian.

The current Ataturk Professor has drawn fire for controversial historical perspectives on Turkish killings of Armenians during World War I.

Princeton's Vice President and Secretary Tom Wright told the Daily Princetonian, "I have been involved in discussions with donors about the independence of academic and donations.

"Donors don't influence the academic interests of the university," he said.