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

Peshawar High Court Restrains Federal Government From Deporting Turkish Teachers Of Pak-Turk School Till Dec 1

The petitioners submitted before the court that Pak-Turk schools had been imparting quality education to hundreds of Pakistani children. They said that the forced deportation of Turkish teachers and other staff members was illegal as they had been provided protection under the Constitution.

New York Times urges Obama not to deport Gulen

In an editorial titled ‘Let Mr. Erdogan Fight His Own Battles’ published on May 2, the New York Times said ‘The American government is obliged to examine the request if Mr. Erdogan follows through and formally files one. But right now the threat seems to be nothing more than a crass and cynical attempt to exploit the law, and Turkey’s alliance with the United States, for political payback.’

EU anti-terror chief: Gülen network not terrorist organization

The EU doesn’t believe Fethullah Gülen’s network is a terrorist organization and is not “likely to change its position soon,” the bloc’s counter-terrorism coordinator told Reuters in an interview published Thursday.

“We will root out every single Gülenist from the Balkans,” Erdoğan says in Serbia

People affiliated with the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen will be “rooted out” from the Balkans, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 11 in a speech in the Serbian town of Novi Pazar.

Erdoğan distorts Gülen’s NYT op-ed, says it is about Bank Asya operation

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has presented a distorted interpretation of an op-ed written by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen that was published in The New York Times, claiming the op-ed is about the takeover of the board of Islamic lender Bank Asya by Turkey’s banking watchdog.

Turkish anti-terrorism police carried out raids in six cities, detaining at least five people with alleged links to al-Qaida

The police raid “is a deliberate attack on the IHH,” said Yasar Kutluay, the group’s secretary general. “They are trying to portray the group as an organization with links to terrorism.” He blamed Israel and Gulen’s supporters, for the operation — a charge Gulen’s movement immediately rejected as “slander and false incrimination.”

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

Behind the secret documents – Turkish government profiled a large number of individuals

Turkish imam spy affair in Germany extends across Europe

Gülen: I hope they avoid the adventures of the Union and Progress Party

A destructive option for Turkey takes shape

Disabled woman loses health care due to son-in-law’s Gülen links

The Turkey in Uganda

Woman says she miscarried baby due to stress under police custody

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News