Academic Visiting His Student Semih Özakça Suspended

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Another reason put forward for the suspension is that Mukul participated in a demonstration organized in Samsun province in protest of theologian Nurettin Yıldız who made statements such as “It is fine to get married with a 6-year-old child”.

The decision dated December 7 was served to Mukul today (December 8). After serving as teacher for 17 years, Mukul who has been working in Social Sciences Education at Sinop University told bianet he will continue his legal struggle.

“Is visiting my student a crime?”

Semih Özakça was acquitted of the charge of “being a member of an illegal organization”, and academic Nuriye Gülmen, who also has been on hunger strike, was released.

Mukul said, “Semih is a student of mine from the faculty of education. I visited my student who is on hunger strike on Sunday. I told the investigators too, is visiting my student a crime? It is not possible”.

“I would be discharged for another reason if not for my visit to Semih because what they are disturbed is our democratic identity.

“We aren’t surprised with the decision. We know the historical process that our world and country go through. People are suffering deep agonies. This suspension won’t discourage us. We will continue our scientific studies. That is the social attitude of an academic member.

“Do the ones who take the decision of suspension think Turkey and the world will remain in this situation forever? If they think so, I suggest them to look at the past. At least from a social scientific point of view, there is such a reality”.

Mukul said that he was kept in custody for one day in the wake of the demonstration in which 1,000 people attended in May 2016, and added that the lawsuit brought against him continues.

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. 

On September 14, ahead of the first hearing, Sincan prison gendarmerie commandership sent an official report for Gülmen and Özakça not to be brought to court on the pretext of “security, lack of staff and health conditions”.

Nuriye Gülmen was taken to Numune Hospital from the prison hospital on the 202nd day (September 26) of her hunger strike.

Semih Özakça was released in the third hearing. (BK/TK)