A Turkish court has ordered that hunger-striking Kurdish opposition MP Leyla Guven be forced to appear before it after she failed to attend a hearing on trumped-up terrorism charges. 

Ms Guven faces 136 years in prison for “membership of a terrorist organisation” following her arrest  last January for criticising Turkey’s illegal invasion and occupation of Afrin in northern Syria.

Ms Guven’s lawyer Serdar Celebi demanded the abandonment of the case against his client.

He told the court: “My client is a member of parliament who has been on a hunger strike for 140 days. She has serious health issues and is in no position to give a deposition.

“If she is brought to court by force by the police, she will be at fatal risk. Under these circumstances, my client has no opportunity to submit a defence.

“As such, we demand that the case be dismissed and that the court refrain from issuing a forced appearance warrant.”

Ms Guven has been on hunger strike for 140 days in protest at jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan being kept in isolation.

At least 5,000 are believed to have joined the campaign in prisons across Turkey.