Wrestling with Free Speech, Religious Freedom, and Democracy in Turkey: The Political Trials and Times of Fethullah Gulen

By James C. Harrington

Book Overview

The political trial of Fethullah G len, a moderate Turkish religious leader, helped to greatly expand civil liberties and strengthen democracy in Turkey. The trial began in 2000 in an Ankara state security court (now disbanded) and ended in 2008 in an appeals court in G len's favor. This book explores G len's trial, examines the evolving process of Turkey's efforts to enter the European Union, and discusses ways that the EU's insistence on expanding civil liberties in Turkey and reforming the judicial system affected the outcome of the trial (and vice versa). As a coda, the book considers unsuccessful efforts to block G len's application for immigrant status in the United States as a religious scholar, which occurred during the same time as his political trial in Turkey.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761854614
• ISBN13: 9780761854616
• Release Date: March 2011
• Publisher: University Press of America
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"