Solidarity Message From Writer Saviano For Gülmen, Özakça on Hunger Strike

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Roberto Saviano, a writer from Italy has sent a solidarity message for academic Nuriye Gülmen and and teacher Semih Özakça who are on a hunger strike to be reinstated to their jobs.

After the interview of journalist Marina Guistino with Semih Özakça's mother Esra Özakça was published, writer Saviano published a solidarity message for Özakça and Özakça and said:

"We are in solidarity with Semih Özakça and Nuriye Gülmen who are behind bars for no reason. We support them. First they were discharged from their positions, and were arrested later. The lives of Nuriye and Semih who have been on hunger strike for 96 days without medical care is in danger.

Saviano ended his message with Özakça's mother's words:

"We are not hungry for food, but for justice. We represent all victims of the State of Emergency and our victory will be the victory of all of us".

On 98th day of the hunger strike

On January 6, 2017 Nuriye Gülmen was discharged from her position through the Statutory Decree No. 679 issued under the State of Emergency.

On October 29, 2016, Semih Özakça was discharged from his position through the Statutory Decree No. 675 issued under the State of Emergency.

They were taken into custody and later released several times during their hunger strike in front of the Human Rights Statute on Yüksel Street in Turkey's capital city of Ankara.

On May 22 they were taken into custody and were arrested the next day.

As of today (June 14) they are on the 98th day of their hunger strike.

About Roberto Saviano

Born on September 22, 1979, Roberto Saviano journalist, writer and essayist from Italy. He is the author of international bestsellers Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero. He is the creator of the TV series Gomorrah.

He has collaborated with numerous important Italian and international newspapers. Currently he writes for the Italian publications l'Espresso and la Repubblica. Internationally, his writings have appeared in the United States with The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek and Time; in Spain with El Pais; in Germany with Die Zeit and Der Spiegel; in Sweden with Expressen; and in the United Kingdom with The Times] and The Guardian.

On October 20, 2008, six Nobel Prize-awarded authors and intellectuals (Orhan Pamuk, Dario Fo, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Desmond Tutu, Günter Grass, and Mikhail Gorbachev) published an article saying that they side with Saviano against Camorra, and they think that Camorra is not just a problem of security and public order, but also a democratic one. They also think that the Italian government must protect his life, and help Saviano in having a normal life. Signatures were collected on the web site of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. (BK/DG)