Teacher and Yüksel Street activist Nazife Onay was detained once again right after being released from the Sincan Prison and was taken to the Istanbul Police Anti-Terror Unit, which she is protesting with a hunger strike.

Onay has been on a hunger strike since October 20, and has stopped taking water and sugar supplements three days ago. When I was taken in custody on October 25 for news I shared on social media, I spoke with Onay in the Anti-Terror Unit where she said, “They have left us no choice but to starve our bodies against this fascism. I will not drink water until this unlawful detention is over.”

NAZİFE’S NEVERENDING TROUBLES

Teacher Nazife Onay’s troubles seem to know no end. Onay had started an individual resistance to be reinstated to her job she was fired from by a statutory decree (KHK) and to show solidarity with Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça on hunger strike for the same reason. She started in front of the Cevahir Mall in Şişli, Istanbul and later moved to the Yüksel Street in Ankara. Onay, who had previously received an award from the National Education Directorate for her 11 years in teaching, was arrested and placed in the Sincan Prison for refusing to comply with the house arrest she received for her demonstration on Yüksel Street. Onay was later released on October 19, but was immediately detained with an excuse of a new investigation and was taken to the Istanbul Police Headquarters Anti-Terror Unit.

“I WILL NOT DRINK WATER UNTIL THE UNLAWFUL DETENTION ENDS”

Not informed of why she was detained, Onay has been on a hunger strike since October 20. I stayed in the same holding cell with her when I was taken in custody on October 25. She had already stopped taking water and sugar as supplements 3 days ago. Onay, not allowed to meet with her lawyer due to the “confidential” mark on her case, has one sick kidney. I saw that she was very pale, and she had lost a lot of weight, and she said she will not comply with such mistreatment. Onay said she had been detained as part of a 100-person list for a so-called operation against the DHKP-C and added: “They have left us no choice but to starve our bodies against this fascism. I will continue my hunger strike until this unlawful detention ends, and I will not drink water.”

Ömer Lütfü Zeren was also detained in the same operation and is also on a hunger strike. He isn’t allowed to meet with his lawyers and he isn’t provided with sugar.