Gülen withdraws libel complaint after housewife apologizes

A classroom of a private exam prep school providing education to high school graduates is shown in this file photo. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
A classroom of a private exam prep school providing education to high school graduates is shown in this file photo. (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: July 8, 2015

SÜLEYMAN KAYHAN / ISTANBUL

Prominent Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen on Tuesday withdrew a complaint of libel against a housewife who had insulted him with treason in one of her tweets but later apologized, saying she had been influenced by the language of the political leadership.

Fikret Duran, one of the lawyers representing Gülen, told Today’s Zaman the scholar had instructed them to withdraw complaints against those individuals who had personally insulted him but had apologized without any condition.

In the second court hearing of Nuran Alemdar on Tuesday, a housewife who is being tried by the Bakırköy 48th Criminal Court of First Instance in İstanbul for insulting Gülen on her Twitter account, she told the court she had been swayed by the offensive language of the government against Gülen and had used words that she cannot even recall now. “I apologize for the words I used,” she said.

Upon her apology, Duran withdrew the complaint from the court. Alemdar was on trial for libel and facing two years, seven months in prison.
Gülen has been a target of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) after a major graft probe revealed on Dec. 17, 2013 implicated people from the inner circles of the party and Erdoğan, including his son Bilal.

Since then, without showing any concrete evidence, Erdoğan and the AK Party leadership have accused Gülen and sympathizers of the faith-based Gülen movement — popularly known as the Hizmet movement and inspired by Gülen’s ideas — especially those in the police forces and the judiciary of being part of a plot that aims to topple the AK Party government.

Strongly denying the accusations by the government, Gülen’s lawyers and those close to the movement took legal action against those who personally insulted or directed unfounded accusations against them.

Source: Today's Zaman , July 08, 2015


Related News

Turkey’s counter-terrorism campaign [against Hizmet] discredited

The agenda of the Turkish authorities [against Hizmet] goes far beyond the attempted coup, it is about the need to neutralise a movement that became a political threat when its followers within the judiciary and police started exposing corruption within the government’s ruling inner circle in December 2013.

Final Declaration of “Coexistence in Islamic Civilizations and Contemporary Reviews” Conference

In this century when “Alienation” has become a global and local syndrome of every society and the problems of “inability to coexist” have gained momentum, The Journalists and Writers Foundation Inter Cultural Dialogue Platform (IDP) and the Fatih University Civilizations Research and Application Center (CRAC) co-organized the “Coexistence in Islamic Civilization and Contemporary Reviews” International […]

Erdogan Budgets $150m To Displace Hizmet Schools In Africa

The motive behind Maarif Foundation is to use it as a tool to pressurize African countries to transfer ownership of Hizmet movement linked schools to the Maarif Foundation since the request for the closure of these schools were turned down for lacking in merit.

The Hizmet Movement and Solutions to Today’s Problems

The Hizmet Essay Contest is a contest series that encourages research on the Hizmet movement and Fethullah Gulen. The contest aims to motivate individuals to research the works of Fethullah Gulen and the activities of various Hizmet institutions locally and globally, with the purpose of addressing how the Hizmet movement contributes to the individual, the […]

Indonesian-Turkish Schools host 5th Science Olympiads

Turkish schools in Indonesia hosted the 5th Annual Indonesia Science Project Olympiads (ISPO) on February 26-28.ISPO is comprised of 6 different subject categories, namely biology, chemistry, environment, technology and computer. A total of 935 project entries were submitted to qualify for top 150. The projects attracted a great deal attention of the visitors. The finalists […]

Kanter: You need to know what is going on in Turkey

Question: You are being called a terrorist by Turkish government. What is your opinion on the widespread use of this term by the Government? Kanter: This is a term that many governments are using to scare people and get public support. No one likes terrorists — so if you brand your opponents as terrorists it’s easy to get support. The Turkish government has even accuses the US of being terrorist sponsors, they are a joke now.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Pilot who flew Erdoğan on coup night fired from Turkish Airlines over Gülen links

Will you overthrow the government or not?

Animation – Story of Turkish teacher Gokhan Acikkollu, tortured to death under police custody

A Muslim voice to be heeded

An open letter to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan

Turkey purge victims unable to find jobs, cannot leave country

Deputy PM Arınç opens Zaman University in Cambodia

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News