- Title: Turkish doctors slam rights court for rejecting hunger strikers' case
- Date: 3rd August 2017
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (AUGUST 3, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SINCAN PRISON COMPOUND WHERE THE TWO TEACHERS ARE ON HUNGER STRIKE, NURIYE GULMEN AND SEMIH OZAKCA, ARE BEING HELD VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS AND ARMOURED VEHICLES OUTSIDE COMPOUND PRISON COMPOUND GENERAL-SECRETARY OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION OF TURKEY, DOCTOR METIN BAKKALCI AND CHAIRMAN OF THE ANKARA CHAMBER OF MEDICAL DOCTORS VEDAT BULUT HOLDING A NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SEATED AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) GENERAL-SECRETARY OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION OF TURKEY, DOCTOR METIN BAKKALCI, SAYING: "They are referring to two medical reports out of ten and both of these reports say their lives are at risk and there is irreparable harm. There isn't a second file. The medical reports are in this file. On what grounds does the European Court of Human Rights write the following sentence: 'We only take urgent measures if there is a risk to life. In this case, we don't see a risk to life. How can't you see it? There are ten reports in this file and all of them affirm (there is a risk to their life). Both the hospital in Sincan and Numune concurs. How do you say this?" REPORTERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) CHAIRMAN OF THE ANKARA CHAMBER OF MEDICAL DOCTORS VEDAT BULUT, SAYING: "According to the latest findings, protein deficiency is severe and Nuriye Gulmen and Semih Ozakca who decided to go on a hunger strike may suffer from multiple organ failure. Therefore they need to be in a multi-disciplinary medical environment or they need to be under control of physicians with different specialities. The hospital in Sincan prison compound cannot supply that."
- Embargoed: 17th August 2017 17:14
- Keywords: Turkey hunger strike Nuriye Gulmen Semih Ozakca European Court of Human Rights Ankara
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
- City: ANKARA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SLSRPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A prominent association of Turkish doctors criticised the European Court of Human Rights on Thursday (August 3) for rejecting a request from two teachers to be released from prison on health grounds after five months on hunger strike.
Nuriye Gulmen, a professor, and Semih Ozakca, a primary school teacher, had petitioned the Strasbourg-based court to order Ankara to release them, arguing imprisonment posed a risk to their lives.
But the court ruled on Wednesday the detention did not pose a "real and imminent risk of irreparable harm" to the two, who have been taking supplements and liquid to stay alive.
The Ankara Chamber of Medical Doctors disagreed with the court's assessment, saying the risk was potentially grave and the two should be placed in a medical facility.
The teachers have said the hunger strike is to draw attention to the plight of the roughly 150,000 people suspended or sacked since last July's failed putsch, which President Tayyip Erdogan blames on followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric. Authorities detained the two after they went on the hunger strike, saying their protest was driven by DHKP-C, a militant leftist group deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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