A pair of Turkish educators are facing months or even years in prison after being arrested for launching a hunger strike in protest at being sacked from their jobs in a widespread purge following last year’s failed coup attempt.

Nuriye Gulmen and Semih Ozakca have not eaten in 77 days and their hunger strike has become a rallying point for opponents of the increasingly authoritarian government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The pair were arrested this week and a court has now ordered that they be held in custody until they can face charges of “membership of a terror organisation” - charges that both academics strongly deny.

The tens of thousands of arrests in Turkey since the failed coup attempt against Mr Erdogan last summer means there is an enormous backlog in the courts system. Ms Gulmen, 35, and Mr Ozakca, 28, are likely to wait six months to a year before their case is heard.