The data set contains census counts of deep-sea benthic foraminifera from sediment core GeoTü SL71. Given are counted individuals of benthic foraminiferal taxa versus sediment depth in cm below sea floor. The counts are based on representative splits of the size fraction >125 µm. The original counting was performed in 2011-2012, a taxonomic revision was carried out in 2022. Gravity core GeoTü SL71, also referred to as M40/4-SL71-2, was retrieved during R.V. METEOR cruise M40/4 in 1998 (Hieke et al., 1999) from the southeastern Ionian Basin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, at 34°48.7'N, 23°11.7'E, 2788 m water depth, core recovery 6.22 m. The sediment core was retrieved for the reconstruction of circulation and productivity changes in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during the late Quaternary with particular focus on sapropel formation.