An Ankara court on Friday released academic Nuriye Gülmen, who has been on a hunger strike for 268 days to protest her arbitrary dismissal from her job following a July 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey, Cumhuriyet reported.
The court also acquitted teacher Semih Özakça, who has been on a hunger strike with Gülmen, and teacher Acun Karadağ, also dismissed from her job. The court as well ruled for the removal of judicial supervision for Özakça and Karadağ.
Özakça was released on probation on Oct. 20, 2017, while Gülmen continued to be held in custody in Numune Hospital’s high security intensive care unit.
The Turkish government started a crackdown on the opposition in the wake of the botched coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and has arrested more than 50,000 and dismissed or suspended some 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants.
