Turkish top court approves sect leader's controversial acquittal

A top Turkish court on March 7 endorsed the acquittal of sect leader Fettullah Gulen, paving the way of his return from exile in the United States. The Turkish Court of Appeals later disputed the ruling.       Â

 

Gulen, Turkey's most controversial religious leader has close relations with the ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and has a broad following; however, many in Turkey believe he is plotting to dismantle the secular state.

 

In its ruling in March, the top court upheld an earlier verdict from a lower court, saying that Gulen and his followers were not guilty of forming an illegal terrorist organization that aimed to introduce sharia law using force and violence.

 

Gulen, the author of dozens of books on religion, science and philosophy, has a strong presence in education not only in Turkey but also in the Balkans, Central Asia and Africa. His network also includes a university, a newspaper and a number of businesses. Â

 

Turkey's top prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, filed a lawsuit against the AKP, claiming the party became the "focal point of anti-secular activities," and demanded 71 officials, including Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, to be banned from politics for five years.Â

 

The top prosecutor had written in his indictment that Gul, in a mandate, wanted Turkish embassies to cooperate with schools which belong to Gulen, defined as a sect leader that operates activities against the secular republic.Â

 

"Therefore the most critical accusation regarding Gul in the indictment has been removed," Hurriyet.com.tr reported on Tuesday, referring to the Supreme Court decision to uphold the earlier verdict. Debates regarding the issue among legal experts in the country continue.