Gülmen, Özakça, Karadağ ‘Asking Back Their Jobs’ Detained

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Nuriye Gülmen, Semih Özakça and discharged teacher Acun Karadağ, who have been staging a protest for 120 days “asking their jobs back” in Ankara’s Yüksekova street, and declared to go on a hunger strike as of March 11, have been detained following making a statement to the press.

According to the information attorney Engin Gökoğlu gave to bianet, the three figures were told there were detention warrants for them and then taken into custody. Gülmen and Özakça started the hunger strike.

The attorneys will meet with the prosecutor today (March 11).

Gökoğlu: Detention warrant was arbitrary

Attorney Gökoğlu said the detention warrant was “arbitrary”.

“The detention warrant reads ‘[Illegal] organization membership and propagandizing for it’, however, we don’t know what organization or what charge [it refers to].

“They have been staging protests for 120 days. Normally, detention warrants are issued for those who cannot be reached or don’t comply with the summoning but whereabouts of these people are known.

“They were beaten”

Conveying the information that the attorneys visited the three figures yesterday, Gökoğlu stated all three were beaten.

“Acun Karadağ underwent a heart surgery, he has a cardiac pacemaker. He was beaten, he is also in a critical condition.

“Semih Özakça was handcuffed from behind and taken to a sports hall, which is the supplementary building of the police station. There were around 50 people other than himself. The police told them ‘You’ll bow your head and take off your shoes’, hurting his pride. He was beaten more and his hands and feet were tied when he refused to do as they said.

“There is something wrong with Nuriye Gülmen’s arm. We don’t know yet whether it is broken but there is a limitation of movement ability. They hadn’t taken her to an orthopedist until we arrived, they told us they would do that after we wrote a minute”.

About Gülmen, Özakça and Karadağ

Nuriye Gülmen was employed at Eskişehir Osmangazi University.

After her contract was not renewed, she brought a lawsuit and won. Seven months later, she started to work at Selçuk University. A day after she started her job, she was suspended from her duty based on the “FETÖ-PDY (Fethullahist Terror Organization-Parallel State Structure) investigation launched into her. She was discharged on January 6, 2017 via the Statutory Decree No. 679.

Semih Özakça was a classroom teacher at Mazıdağı Cumhuriyet Primary School in Mardin. He was discharged via the Statutory Decree No. 675 over “being linked with terror organizations”.

Acun Karadağ, who is a member of Education Union, was discharged via the Statutory Decree No. 675. He was arrested numerous times due to the protests he staged in front the school where he worked. Karadağ was calling out “I want my students back” during the protests. He continues the protest “I want my job back” with Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça on Yüksel street. (BK/TK)