Hurriyet said: "Ankara's 'on-duty' State Security Court [DGM] denied DGM prosecutor Nuh Mete Yuksel permission to issue an arrest warrant for [alleged religious community leader] Fethullah 'Hoca' Gulen for 'forming a gang in order to change the system.' Yuksel will appeal that decision at a higher court – namely, Ankara's No. 1 DGM. Gulen is currently living in the United States. In the past he had declared that he would return home if a warrant were to be issued in Turkey for his arrest. Yuksel initially intended to have Gulen tried on charges of 'trying to overthrow the constitutional order,' which would entail the death penalty. Later he decided that this charge did not apply to Gulen's activities and opted for the lesser charge of 'forming a gang to change the existing order,' a charge which entails a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence." 2000-10-08 00:00:00

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