Gülen Trial Postponed Again

State Security Court II in Ankara has postponed the trial of Fethullah Gülen, one of the prominent Islamic scholars in Turkey. It is believed that Gülen and his group known as Nurcu wanted to overthrow the existing secular regime and create a religious state instead by creating an illegal organization.

Huseyin Eken, the presiding judge postponed the trial to another date and refused prosecutor Nuh Mete Yuksel's demand to issue an arrest warrant for Gülen. Gülen is currently in the U.S. going under treatment for heart-related complications.

Yuksel is seeking a prison sentence of up to 10 years for Gülen. Judge Eken said they have not received an answer from the U.S. authorities to take Gülen's deposition in the U.S. He also noted that some witnesses testimony has not reached the court. Eken said books written by Gülen namely "Measures and Lights on the Road 3-4," "Eternal Light 1-2-3," "Under the Shadow of Belief," "Broken Pick" and "Life After Death" have been obtained by the Court.

After Judge Eken's opening remarks, witness Serhat Ozkan, who is the co-author of the book "The Schools of the Hodja," told the court about his contacts with the people from the group. Ozkan claimed that the people in the group insulted Ataturk, the founder of the Republic despite their image of respecting Ataturk's legacy. 03.29.2001