Nuriye Gülmen, Semin Özakça on Hunger Strike Detained

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Special operation forces raided homes of academic Nuriye Gülmen and teacher Semih Özakça, who were discharged through the statutory decree and have been on hunger strike for 75 days to be reinstated to their jobs.

Home and street where Gülmen and Özakça live have been blockaded by the police.

Stating that there are detention warrants for Gülmen and Özakça, police entered home breaking through the steel door of the home.

Police raided Gülmen and Özakça’s homes at around 1 a.m.

Attorney Selçuk Kozağaçlı announced the detention on Twitter: “Nuriye Gülmen and Semin Özakça were taken into custody by force by the same bureau for the third time. They asked me to convey the message ‘We will never give up’”.

Besides, Semih Özakça’s spouse Esra Özakça and attorneys Ayşegül Çağatay and Ebru Timtik were detained as well.

Sultan Özakça gece gözaltı operasyonundan sonra Yüksel'e indi: "Suçsa savcı beni de gözaltına aldırsın! Evlatlarımın yerine de direneceğim!" pic.twitter.com/NckPspzaTW

— Seyri Sokak (@seyrisokak) 22 Mayıs 2017

Following the raid, Semih Özakça’s mother Sultan Özakça started to sit in front of the Human Rights Monument on Yüksel Street in capital city of Ankara.

Attorney Kozağaçlı said that the police told them the reason for detention was that “the protest could evolve to a death fast and may trigger event like Gezi Resistance or Tekel Resistance”. (EKN/TK)