Turkey’s dismissed educators leave behind 100th day in their hunger strike
Turkey’s dismissed educators Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça have left behind 100 days in their hunger strike which they started to demand their jobs back.
Having been held in detention for nearly a month over ‘speculations that they would be harming judicial process if they do not get arrested over accusations to terror ties’, both Gülmen and Özakça are now faced with health complications.
As BirGün reporters Hüseyin Şimşek and Zeynep Kuray reported, Gülmen lost 12 kilos and both educators have pulses that have at times fall to 40.
According to statements of Semih Özakça’s wife Esra Özakça given to BirGün, Gülmen has serious muscle pain on her arms, neck, and back, as well as, pins and needles on feet and legs. Özakça also said the health condition of her husband is also deteriorating. Bruising on skins of both Gülmen and Özakça has increased seriously, Esra Özakça added.
After having visited Gülmen in İstanbul’s Silivri closed prison, lawyer Engin Gökoğlu said that Gülmen’s health condition come to the point of inability to even hold a pen. She is also carried on a wheelchair as she is unable to walk.
Lose of memory due to deficiency in B-1 vitamin was also observed by lawyer Gökoğlu. Semih Özakça’s health condition is a little better compared to Gülmen’s, as he is still able to walk and he has not developed a complication related to memory.
Mother and wife of Semih Özakça have also been on a hunger strike since the arrest of Gülmen and Özakça last month.
Meanwhile, there has been no concern reflected by Turkey’s authorities over the unlawful arrest of the educators and their severed health problems. The street in Ankara where the educators and their supporters, as well as, other dismissed educators, used to gather to hold their demonstration has been under police blockade since the arrest of the educators. Any attempt of gathering at the site is dispersed by the police violently.