Ergenekon suspect convicted for insulting Gulen


Date posted: April 17, 2013

Muammer Karabulut, who stands accused in the investigation into Ergenekon — a clandestine terrorist group that sought to undermine democratically elected government — has been convicted and sentenced to one year in prison for insulting Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen.

Karabulut wrote in his book “Protestan Kur’an” (Protestant Quran) that Gulen is “changing” the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and Islam by protesting against it and doing this through his “money empire” that “feeds from blood.”

The Ankara 2nd Court of First Instance handed down a one-year prison sentence to Karabulut and said the suspect had committed a “hate speech” crime. The court noted that Karabulut was convicted on charges of “insulting” because there is a legal loophole regarding hate speech in the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The decision said the remarks on Gulen went beyond criticism and did not aim to inform the public.

The court converted Karabulut’s sentence into TL 14,600, which he can opt to pay in lieu of serving more time in prison, and elected not to suspend the suspect’s sentence because he did not express regret for his crime.

SourceToday’s Zaman, 17 April 2013

Tags: Ergenekon, Defamation of Fethullah Gulen

 


Related News

A dirty war in the run-up to the elections

With the Gülen movement officially marked in police reports as being a “terrorist organization,” we can say that the ruling party’s war against the civilian populace has truly reached its dirtiest stage. A brief summary: The Gülen movement is undoubtedly one of the Muslim world’s most peaceful and tolerant civil movements ever.

The [Gulen] movement was a shade

The faithful people of Anatolia who were alienated for many years, educated and trained themselves with the scope given by the “leader” of the movement. They sacrificed and worked a lot in order to get to those governmental positions. They got to these positions with their great effort and labor. They utilized these positions for God`s sake, for their homeland and their nation.

Twitter user apologizes for Gülen ‘traitor’ insult, blames politicians

Nuray A., who called Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen a “traitor” in a Twitter post, told a court on Tuesday that she only used the expression after first hearing politicians use the word against Gülen, and apologized for imitating them.

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.

Education minister calls on African ambassadors to have Gülen-inspired schools closed

Turkish Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz has called on ambassadors of African countries to have their governments close schools affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement.

Irvine’s new arrivals — Turkish asylum seekers, after a failed coup and a sadly successful purge

The man, who ran a nonprofit that provided humanitarian aid, doesn’t want to be identified because he fears for the safety of the wife and two children he was forced to leave in Turkey. They are hidden in a different city, he said, not far from his hometown. They’ve thrown away their cellphones and erased their social media accounts for fear of being tracked down by a government that no longer welcomes them.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

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

In Case You Missed It

Turkish Cultural Center opens in New Hampshire

Turkish minister’s leaked emails show pro-gov’t figure has eye on Gülen-linked dormitory

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

Kimse Yok Mu continues relief efforts in Gaza

Abduction and torture part of war on Gulenists: Report

Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) at center of political storm

Medialog debates new media challenges at İstanbul conference

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News