Allegations Against Gülen are Execution Despite Trial
Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish religious scholar who resides in the United States, has responded to allegations put forth in the media through his lawyer Orhan Erdemli.
In a statement released on Friday, Erdemli said accusations that Gülen's followers were organizing inside the police department had no truth to them. He said Gülen, once accused of attempting to undermine Turkey's secular order, was acquitted in court, recalling that the acquittal was approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals.
"Such publications [directing false accusations] are not only a violation of the law, but are tantamount to 'execution despite trial' amidst so many definitive judicial rulings."
The statement said there was a segment which sought to divide Turkey along religious, sectarian and ethnic lines that had feelings of hostility toward Gülen. He said the marginal groups in question have been conducting a systematic smear campaign through the media for years. "They are constantly working to make Mr. Gülen look guilty in the eyes of the public by connecting every event that is on the country's agenda [to him]. First they publish accusatory stories about Gülen, then they present these publications to judiciary organs as proof for their accusations," the statement said. "These suspicious forces see Gülen's thoughts and activities as the biggest obstacle in the way of their evil plans."
The statement said that some individuals, having failed to digest the Supreme Court of Appeals' approval of Gülen's acquittal, are now looking for other ways to attack Gülen. "They began accusing Mr. Gülen yet again by using the Ergenekon trial, which has produced large amounts of ammunition and even anti-tank weapons on a daily basis, as an opportunity. These segments, in their newspaper columns and on their television stations, make references to concepts such as 'respecting the law,' 'the supremacy of law,' 'the presumption of innocence,' 'the guarantee of law' and 'not executing without a trial.' They say people cannot be made to appear guilty without a judicial decision confirming the situation as such according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution. But are these universal laws and human rights applicable only to them? Let alone 'execution without trial,' is 'execution despite trial' legitimate when it comes to Mr. Gülen?"
The statement recalled that an investigation into the allegations that the Gülen community was organizing inside the Turkish police was dismissed without further review in 1992 by the Ankara State Security Court's (DGM) Chief Prosecutor's Office. It also noted that many other investigations both inside and outside the country by all types of official authorities have failed to find any criminal elements.
It recalled that the 9th Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals unanimously voted to clear Gülen of all accusations against him on the grounds that "there was no certain and credible evidence showing without a reasonable doubt" that Gülen was guilty. The ruling was appealed, but the appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeals, the statement said, noting that the acquittal ruling was confirmed beyond doubt as every legal step had been exhausted.
"Despite attempts of certain individuals to influence the judiciary, justice was served by the independent Turkish judiciary, and Mr. Gülen's innocence was proven by a definitive judicial ruling, effectively showing that neither the public nor official authorities nor judicial organs find these accusations credible."
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