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Turkish lawyers join clients in prison

The arrest of a well-known Turkish lawyer has fueled concerns that judicial authorities are trying to disable the defense in politically charged cases by criminalizing attorneys.
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In mid-November, the emblematic hunger strike of Turkish teachers Nuriye Gulmen and Semih Ozakca passed the 250-day mark. Gulmen, a literature professor, and Ozakca, a primary school teacher, lost their jobs in the massive purges that followed the failed coup attempt in July 2016. Their protest to get their jobs back began as a sit-in in downtown Ankara a year ago and then turned into a hunger strike, landing them behind bars in May on terrorism-related charges. Since then, Gulmen has been transferred to hospital detention, while Ozakca has been placed under house arrest.

The pair’s saga also has sucked in their lawyers. On Nov. 13, Selcuk Kozagacli became their 18th attorney to land behind bars.

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