Mardin Mazıdağı Cumhuriyet Elementary School

A total nine people, including the mother of an expelled teacher, were detained by police on May 18 during a solidarity protest with dismissed teacher Semih Özakça and academic Nuriye Gülmen, who have been on hunger strike for 72 days, daily Cumhuriyet has reported.

The mother of Semih Özakça, a Turkish educator who has been on hunger strike for more than 65 days, has told daily Hürriyet on May 14 that she cannot eat the food that her son loves. 

"I have to stay strong and not collapse, I feed on food like soup," Sultan Özakça said on Mother's Day. 

The mothers of two slain Gezi protesters have launched a one-day hunger strike as a show of support to two educators who have been on hunger strike for over 65 days. 

Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça went on a hunger strike on March 10 in Ankara, demanding to be returned to their jobs, which they lost with a state of emergency decree.

Some 30 lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) have sent a letter to Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, asking the government to "reconsider the issue" and reinstate two educators, currently on hunger strike, who were dismissed through state of emergency decrees. 

The health conditions of two educators who have been on a hunger strike for over 60 days is deteriorating, while four main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmakers have also launched their own hunger strike in support.