Hunger strike on its 106th day – Özakça cannot walk and Gülmen cannot stand up

Educationalists Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça have completed the 106th day of their hunger strike. With a ‘communications punishment’ reputedly having been imposed on detainee Gülmen for ‘shouting a slogan’ involving a ban on letter-fax correspondence and telephone calls, it was indicated in a statement made by Ankara Bar Association that Özakça is in a critical state while Gülmen was not even capable of attending the visit. An investigation has been launched into one of the resisters, sociologist Veli Saçılık, for ‘membership of a terrorist organisation’ with a post on Twitter of a photograph of Israeli soldiers raiding a home in Palestine cited as evidence.

The Human Rights Memorial was not deserted on the 226th day of the resistance started by academic Nuriye Gülmen and teachers Semih Özakça and Acun Karadağ when they demanded their jobs back. Citizens who have embarked on a hunger strike in support of detainees Gülmen and Özakça, resisting in the face of hunger for 106 days, congregated in front of the Human Rights Memorial. It was not long before the police intervened against the citizens who made the statement, ‘Gülmen and Özakça are being robbed of their health with each day that passes.’

Following the announcement, ‘Break up,’ police teams, who ripped up signs reading, ‘Reemployment for Nuriye and Semih,’ dispelled the citizens who had made the statement by roughly shoving them. An ensuing statement read: ‘They do not even have the slightest tolerance for our most democratic right to a press statement. Ankara police are committing a crime. We will keep Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça alive. Until they are removed from fascism’s dungeon, we will not abandon any space where there is resistance. We are the ones who are in the right and have legitimacy.’

No information is forthcoming

In a comment emanating from the headquarters of the Trade Union of Employees in Public Health and Social Services, it was stated that they requested a meeting with prison managers to get information about Gülmen and Özakça’s circumstances, but the reply forwarded to them by officers was that, ‘They could not hold a meeting or impart information without the permission of the Ministry of Justice.’