Turkey's Constitutional Court rejected the applications of US-based imam Fethullah Gülen and Gülen-linked Samanyolu media group on Monday.
Gülen's application to the court was based on the decision of non-persecution of a public prosecutor's office claiming that his personal rights were violated through hate speech in an interview published on a website. The court decision stated that Gülen's application is rejected as all appeal procedures have not been used.
Gülen-linked Samanyolu Media Group Chairman Hidayet Karaca's application was also rejected all as appeal procedures have not been used and lack of a clear basis for the claims.
Karaca was detained in December 2014 with the accusation of founding and managing a terrorist organization in the trial publicly known as "Tahşiye case," in which a rival religious group to the Gülen Movement was allegedly persecuted by Gülenist police officers and judiciary members through falsified documents.
Karaca's claims of violation of fair trial, maltreatment and excession of arrest period were rejected as all appeal procedures have not been used. Remaining claims of unfounded decision of detention, violation of neutral and independent judge, violation of freedom expression and lack of access to investigation file were rejected due to lack of clear basis for the claims.
