JINHA

AMED – As impression on teachers, who have been suspended from their duties in Diyarbakır, is increasing with each passing day, 16 teachers currently in custody. Two female teachers have continued to be held in custody although one has 2-month-old baby, other four-month-old baby.

Thousands of teachers, who went to on strike against war by using their union rights, have been suspended from their duties for allegedly “supporting an [illegal] organization”. 4,300 of 11,500 suspended teachers are the teachers, who work in Diyarbakır. As the teachers, mostly members of the Education and Science Workers Union (Eğitim-SEN), carried out protest in order to express their reaction, they were subjected to impression, detention and house raids.

Teachers made a statement in front of Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of National Education on September 9. Police attacked the teachers by using tear gas and water cannon and detained about 40 teachers. Detained teachers were released after being held in custody for 12 hours.

On the first day of school year (September 19), teachers and students, who wanted to protest the suspension, were detained. About 20 teachers were released a day later. Police conducted house raids on September 21 and detained 25 teachers. As one of teacher was released in the same day, 24 teachers were sent to the court five days later. Seven of 24 teachers were sent to jail for “committing an illegal act on behalf of an [illegal] organization but not members of the organization,” 17 of them were released on condition of supervised release.
The teachers continued their protests and wanted to form a “human chain” in Diclekent on September 24; however, police attacked the teachers and detained 17 of them. As 17 teachers were released on the same day, police conducted house raid yesterday morning and detained 16 teachers.

As the teachers have still been held in custody, Gülizar Doğan, who has two-month-old baby and another female teacher, who has four-month-old baby are among the detained teachers. Two babies have been taken to the mothers for breastfeed.

(mm/gc/gd)