On the 324th day of their hunger strike, dismissed academic Nuriye Gülmen and teacher Semih Özakça have ended their action.

At a press conference, the two dismissed educators pointed out that their fight continued.

They thanked all those who supported them, and in particular greeted those who were arrested for their support and remain in prison.

Nuriye Gülmen said: "Our resistance has freed us. We refused to surrender and felt freer on a daily basis. That's a great thing. If we had not resisted and just sat at home, today we would not be able to stand upright to the public. Where oppression prevails, there is the right to resistance. "

Academic Nuriye Gülmen and teacher Semih Özakça are two of the tens of thousands of people who were expelled with a Statutory Decree following last year’s coup attempt. Gülmen and Özakça were holding a daily vigil demonstration on the Yüksel Street in the heart of Turkish capital Ankara against their expulsion with a Statutory Decree, and later started a hunger strike to get their jobs back in March. Both educators were jailed in late May, since when they continue with their hunger strike in prison.

Semih Özakça was released from prison on October 21, 2017 and Nuriye Gülmen on December 2, 2017.