Fethullah Gulen Acquitted


Date posted: June 26, 2008

The Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals has rejected the Chief Prosecutor’s Office’s objection to the acquittal of scholar Fethullah Gulen, which was upheld by the appeals court in early March. Gulen had been charged with “establishing an illegal organization”. The objection was soundly defeated by a 16 to 7 vote.

Fethullah Gulen’s acquittal has been officially registered a third time following the objection of the Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalçinkaya.

GULEN ACQUITED 3 TIMES

The Supreme Court of Appeals approved the previous decision of acquittal of Gulen by a 16 to 7 majority. Therefore Gulen’s acquittal has been registered irrevocably by the top court in Turkiye.

FIRST ACQUITAL

Gulen was tried on charges of “establishing an illegal organization to undermine the secular structure of the state. The court ruled that Gulen did not commit any of the crimes alleged by prosecutor Nuh Mete Yuksel and upheld Gulen’s acquittal.

SECOND ACQUITAL

The decision of acquittal was appealed and the 9th Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals decided that Fethullah Gulen did not commit any of the mentioned crimes and upheld Gulen’s acquittal unanimously.


Related News

Academic freedom at universities under growing threat

Süleyman Yaşar, a former columnist at the Sabah daily who has a broad vision regarding the economic policy of the current government, was fired from the outlet for not criticizing the Hizmet movement [the faith-based organization inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen]

Hate speech and its impact on the movement (1)

It amounts to the otherization of a social group, cowing it into submission. It is a weapon used by the powerful to destroy the “others.” Hate speech is particularly dangerous when employed by those who exercise public authority as it leads to official discrimination. In a democratic country, it is one of the state’s basic duties to prevent the use of hate speech.

Hundreds gather in front of Silivri Prison to protest media crackdown

Hundreds of people gathered in front of Silivri Prison on Saturday to protest the detention of Samanyolu Broadcasting Group General Manager Hidayet Karaca, who is being held in custody in the prison as part of a government-orchestrated police operation targeting journalists, scriptwriters and police officers.

It is a great loss that Turkish Olympiads were not held in Turkey

The efforts of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) municipalities and districts to ensure that the Turkish Olympiads were not held in Turkey this year led to some strong reaction. Former Foreign Minister Yaşar Yakış, also one of the founders of the AK Party, expressed his sorrow about the obstacles that were deliberately manufactured to hinder the organization of the event.

The fate of prosecutors

An election was held at the Ankara Bar Association recently. Nuh Mete Yüksel, who was among the powers that be in the prosecutorial community in the past, entered while this was taking place. He was once an awe-inspiring prosecutor. Apparently, he retired from prosecuting and became a lawyer. Of course, he is now deprived of the terrifying appearance he had in those years. He no longer has the frigid countenance that would send everyone’s hearts throbbing with fear. As it happens, some lawyers started to protest harshly the “fledgling lawyer.” Moreover, the hall was filled with shouts of “Go away!” So Yüksel had to go back without casting his vote…

34,000 teachers, 5,882 academics, 1,372 university employees dismissed since July 15, 2016

A total of 34,000 teachers have been dismissed along with 5,882 academics and 1,372 administrative personnel at universities as part of the Turkish government’s post-coup crackdown, a recent report said.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

New Book – The House of Service: The Gülen Movement and Islam’s Third Way (New York: Oxford University Press)

Once lauded as model, Turkey’s Africa initiative loses momentum

Fethullah Gülen is a Chance for Humanity: His Inclusive Perspective for Sustainable Global Triangulation

The real problem is not an AK Party-Gülen movement conflict

Turkish language and culture festivals held in three countries

Election results and the Hizmet movement

Nigeria: Last Man Standing

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News