Ankara Bar: Nuriye Gülmen Couldn’t Come to Visiting Due to Her State of Health

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Ankara Bar met with academic Nuriye Gülmen and teacher Semih Özakça, who have been on hunger strike demanding to be reinstated to their jobs which they were discharged through statutory decree, in prison yesterday (June 21).

Bar Deputy President Erinç Sağkan and Board member Özgür Ökmen and Çağrı Ayhan Şenel issued a written statement following the visit.

In the statement, it was told that Gülmen couldn’t come to the visiting area due to her state of health.

It was stated that state of health of Semih Özakça, who was visited in Sincan Type F Prison, has reached critical condition but Özakça said that he will resolutely continue his hunger strike. It was also said in the statement that Özakça has difficulty in walking, came to the visiting by a wheelchair, he was very exhausted and had difficulty in speaking.

About Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça

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.

On March 9, 2017 Gülmen and Özakça went on an indefinite and non-alternate hunger strike in front of the Human Rights Statute on Yüksel Street in Turkey's capital city of Ankara.

They were taken into custody and later released several times during their hunger strike.

Being charged with "being a member of a terrorist organization" ,"opposing to the Law on Assembly and Demonstration" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization", they were arrested on May 23. (NV/TK)