Dismissed Turkish Academic, Known For Hunger Strike, Arrested Again

By Staff Writer On Jul 6, 2018

Nuriye Gulen and Semih Ozakca protest in downtown Ankara — When they were healthy and fit, Nuriye Gulmen (L) and Semih Ozakca were constant figures of Ankara Guven Park. (Photo: Turkish media)

Nuriye Gulmen, who became a symbol of the post-coup resistance in Turkey’s academia and education sector by going on partial hunger strike for nearly a year, was detained by police on Friday.

The academic announced her detention on Twitter as she headed to a police station. Last year, Gulmen who was dismissed from her post in Osmangazi University by an emergency decree captured national attention when she went on a hunger strike that lasted for 324 days.

Turkish authorities arrested her and Semih Ozakca, a teacher who joined protests along with the academic in downtown Ankara, to forcefully feed them.