Responses to groundless claims concerning Mr. Adnan Oktar on the balkanist.net web site
Harun YahyaA couple of days ago, the www.balkanist.net, which is available in English and Croatian, published a misleading article concerning world-renown Muslim author Mr. Adnan Oktar (aka Harun Yahya), whose ideas and work impact the world. The piece in question makes a number of false, baseless and unjustified allegations that are not based on any evidence.
Primarily, the article’s author has never met nor interviewed Mr. Oktar, who has authored more than 300 works translated into 70 languages, and who was named amongst the world’s most influential Muslims by Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the Georgetown University in USA in cooperation with the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. The piece in question makes insults and allegations, distortions and misinterpretations, to the extent that the allegations in the article constitute incriminating evidence against the very author who wrote them. To the contrary of Balkanist.net’s claims and accusations, Mr. Oktar has no criminal records. For this reason, it is impossible to consider the piece as the product of objective journalism.
TO THE CONTRARY OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS, MR. OKTAR HAS NO CRIMINAL RECORDS
The piece written is biased, intending to misdirect readers as part of a smear campaign. Use of unprofessional and biased opinions can be seen clearly in many parts of this article, which was obviously written with an ulterior motive.
The author of the piece makes such assertions without having met Mr. Oktar or any of his friends who appear on the TV show together with him. Consequently, the author of the Balkanist.net attempts to accuse the individuals in question to force her point of view on the readers.
In a similar and unprofessional manner, the Balkanist.net article uses references that have been deemed false by court rulings. Fabricated reports with no evidence are cited as support in a way to violate the personal rights with no regard to objective and truthful reporting.
Investigative or objective journalism is supposed to be based on evidence, using correct, logical and reasonable arguments and documents based on the evidence and usually supplementing it with interviews with the subject in question or with people who are familiar with the particular situations cited. A presentation can only then be made based on sound analysis to substantiate to the reader the claims it makes. Balkanist.net makes no attempt to write a professional article, rather publishes a lazy allegation-filled production at best. As is known, violation of the personal rights of an individual or a group by using wrong information constitutes a crime all over the world. Therefore, legal action was taken to ensure that this article is removed from the website and replaced with a statement of refutation explaining the truths. For this reason, the administrators of Balkanist.net should correct the said false information immediately and swiftly make up for their actions as they misled people.
Due to these baseless allegations, it is now necessary to issue accurate responses concerning the claims on the site. A thorough response to the false nature of the claims made against Mr. Adnan Oktar and his friends on the www.balkanist.net can be found below, which will provide the true state of affairs for readers’ consideration in a comprehensive manner.
1) The Baseless Nature of the Sexual Allegations Made against Adnan Oktar and His Friends:
The Balkanist.net, in its futile attempts, uses one of the most classical methods to try to slander, discredit and defame a well-known public figure, namely sexual allegations. In order for the claims in question to be accepted, there would first have to be a plaintiff, aggrieved party or a witness that is willing to testify and confirm these allegations. On the contrary there exists not a single witness, plaintiff or aggrieved party to confirm this. Turkish courts have outright rejected all such prior allegations.
There is not a single witness who will verify the said allegations made in the article on the Balkanist.net. Furthermore, claims regarding hidden cameras for use of coercion or blackmail on the Balkanist.net web site have also been legally proven to be false. The verdicts of acquittal and dismissal of proceedings many times given by the courts and public prosecutors definitely disprove this claim. Indeed there exists not a single piece of evidence or recording that would verify this unfounded claim.
The Balkanist.net cites a raid in 1999, where volunteers were taken under custody and under duress, made to sign statements prepared by the police officials. In fact Balkanist.net describes in no less than 2 paragraphs, graphically what those allegations were, yet fails to mention in equal detail that all those allegations were either denied, or not accepted by the Turkish courts. However the truth is very clear:
The individuals that were tried to be presented as witnesses to the claim in question were forced to sign the testimonies put in front of them under duress at the police station. These individuals later said in court to the judges that they were pressured to sign the testimonies while under custody, refused their own statements taken during that time. They further added that they had not been oppressed or harmed either by Mr. Oktar or anyone from this community, and that there was no question of any sexual advantage being taken, as had been alleged. The corrected statements given to the prosecutor are available in the court minutes.
The claims made in the article are based on testimonies signed under duress and torture by some members of SRF, of which Mr. Oktar is the honorary president, who were tried and taken under custody in 1999, as a result of the plots hatched by the alleged Ergenekon Terror Organization and of the 28th February process, also called the Post-Modern Coup. According to the law, police testimonies signed under torture and in the absence of advocates are utterly invalid. However, based on the invalid testimonies taken by police, the indictment was prepared and a case was opened based on the invalid evidence. These totally fantastical testimonies of no legal validity and considered as illegal by the Court as a basis for a verdict are repeated on Balkanist.net article and presented to readers in a contrary viewpoint, confusing readers as to the true facts.
Balkanist.net web site like most atheist or Darwinist publications, also appears to be severely irritated by Mr. Oktar’s strong anti-Darwinist activities. Consequently it is not surprising that such claims appeared on the Balkanist.net web site. Amongst its other motives, by publishing a slanderous article about a famous individual, the Balkanist.net site in all likelihood seeks to attract Internet traffic for its own purposes.
2) Mr. Oktar Has Never Claimed to Be a Messiah or Mahdi:
Mr. Oktar has never claimed to be Messiah or Mahdi. There is not any evidence revealing that Mr. Oktar has such a claim. On Mr. Oktar’s websites, books, essays, videos and conversation programs aired daily, it is impossible to encounter a single statement showing that he claims to be Mahdi. Indeed, he has sworn at various times in his life that he makes no such claim and that he will never do. Some people have made such a supposition because the features of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) reported in the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) resemble him very closely and since he describes the portents of the Mahdi that appear in Islamic texts on his shows and in his books. The Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace), tells people to hear the glad tidings of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), and on the basis of that advice Mr. Oktar describes the features of the Mahdi as related in the hadiths.
Mr. Oktar has countless times stated in interviews and on his live broadcasts on A9 TV Channel that there is a very close resemblance between himself and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) as described in the hadiths, but that this will never mean that he is the Mahdi. It is evident that many people can resemble the description given in the hadiths. According to Islam, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is a person appointed in destiny. In order for us to be convinced that someone is the Mahdi, he needs to be instrumental in the building of Islamic Union and for the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) to pray behind him when he comes, as revealed in the hadiths. Only upon seeing these portents can we say, “God knows best, this is probably Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).”
3) The False Nature of the Claim that Mr. Oktar “Practices Islam in a Different Way”
The Islam advocated by Mr. Oktar is the true Islam described in the Qur’an and by which people lived in the time of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace). This is not a different conception of Islam as alleged on the Balkanist.net web site. Mr. Oktar espouses the true moral values of Islam based on the Qur’an, which he regards as the source of democracy, human rights and freedom of thought.
This unreal claim on Balkanist.net, which is totally based on speculations, is nothing more than slander by certain people hostile to the SRF community. Indeed this claim is refuted by countless number of evidence.
Mr. Oktar’s works and interviews expounding the Ahl Al-Sunnah creed, and the obligatory nature and merits of the salat 5 times a day are closely followed worldwide. Furthermore these are included in Adnan Oktar’s books that he has written since the 1990s. There is therefore no evidence and no witnesses to make it possible to make such a claim against Mr. Oktar.
When Mr. Oktar’s works are examined, his views regarding to adherence to Ahl Al-Sunnah in performance of salat are explicitly set out. In the book, Quick Grasp of Faith- 1, p.63 and 64, the author states that salat must be performed five times a day and is made up of a total of 40 rakats including its obligatory, essential and sunnah rakats. In the book, Basic Tenets of Islam, p. 81-83, it is again explicitly stated that salat must be performed five times a day and is made up of 40 rakats. In another book by the author, Perfected Faith, p. 24-25, he explains that salat is to be performed five times a day.
Respected professors of theology have also submitted their scientific opinions stating that Mr. Oktar’s understanding is in line with the Hanafi school and in compliance with Ahl Al-Sunnah. Prof. MEHMET BAYRAKDAR, one of these respected professors from the Ankara University Theology Faculty, states the following in his scientific opinion:
“IN NONE OF THE WORKS OF THE AUTHOR DO THERE EXIST ANY VIEWS CONTRARY TO THE QUR’AN AND SUNNAH, THE FUNDAMENTAL SOURCES OF ISLAM. On the contrary, our traditional Turkish-Islamic understanding is preserved. There is no information contrary to our national and religious customs...”
Below are the scientific opinions of the valuable theology professors proving the baselessness of the claims on Balkanist.net suggesting that the author “allegedly engaged in different religious practices”:
I. Prof. Dr. Salih Akdemir’s (Ankara University Qur’anic Commentary Department Academic Member) 20.03.2000 dated opinion
II. Prof. Dr. Mevlüt Güngör’s (Ankara University Qur’anic Commentary Department Chairman) 25.03.2000 dated opinion
III. Prof. Dr. Hayrettin Karaman’s (European International Islam University Academic Member) opinion
IV. Prof. Dr. M. Saim Yeprem’s (Marmara University Theology Faculty Dean) 20.10.2000 dated opinion
V. Prof. Dr. M. Hayri Kırbaşoğlu’s (Ankara University Hadith Department Acadamic Member) 28.03.2000 dated opinion
VI. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Bayrakdar’s (Ankara University Theology Faculty Academic Member) 30.05.2000 dated opinion
VII. Assistant Professor Dr. İlhami Güler’s (Ankara University Islamic Philosophy Department Academic Member) 25.03.2000 dated opinion
VIII. Assistant Professor Ömer Özsoy’s (Ankara University Commentary Department Academic Member) 29.02.2000 dated opinion
IX. Associate Professor Mehmet Paçacı’s (Ankara University Theology Faculty Islamic Sciences Academic Member) 01.06.2000 dated opinion
4) The invalidity of the allegations about Mr. Oktar’s female friends
The claim on the site in question that Mr. Oktar had built a harem for himself is one of the fantastical and mendacious sex-based slanders that intend to cause public indignation and is based on no evidence at all.
A community that has great influence as a result of its world-wide accomplishments would surely attract the attention of many people with different ideas. In this sense, such people can say many things just for the sake of opposition, in an attempt to diminish the effect of people they are against. However this by no means changes the facts. Throughout history sincere people, prophets, messengers, people who strived in the way of God have been similarly defamed.
The Prophet Joseph (pbuh) is a most important example cited in this respect in the Qur'an. The technique is particularly popular for use against people known for their religious identities. Since Mr. Oktar is also a religious individual, and since he and the SRF community were well known for their sensitivity on national and moral issues, the circles in question must have thought that the best way of allegedly damaging their reputations in the public eye was to make sex-based allegations. The scenarios of a “harem” and “Adnan Oktar’s women” are completely erroneous.
These groundless claims were brought up in court following the aforementioned police operation against the SRF community on 12 November, 1999. However, all the women portrayed as victims in these scenarios stated that the claims were completely fictitious and that all the people they knew from the SRF were highly moral, upright and virtuous people. The various witnesses appearing in court also confirmed this.
RESPONSES FROM FAMILIES OF THE MEMBERS OF SRF COMMUNITY TO CERTAIN FAMILIES MAKING GROUNDLESS ALLEGATIONS.
5) The Spurious Nature of Depicting the Make-up Worn by Mr. Oktar’s Female Friends As an Offense:
Women from all nations and of all beliefs right across the world use make-up. Women on all shows on TV stations in Turkey, Europe and the USA all wear make-up and wear slightly revealing or revealing clothes. In European countries and the USA, since great care is taken in daily life with regard to the implementation of individual rights and freedoms, people are judged neither because of their clothes nor make-up. In societies where a weak sense of democracy reigns, however, deep-seated prejudices on these subjects still persist. It is just as wrong to label someone because of his bright clothes and make-up as it is to condemn someone for wearing dull clothes and no make-up.
Every woman is free to wear the make-up she thinks suits her best. Criticism on that subject suggests a flawed understanding on the part of the person making it. Thousands of world-wide popular, embraced and admired artists are known for their excessive make-up and they are loved and admired especially by this attribute.
Women have worn make-up since ancient times. Women wore henna, rouge and kohl and dyed their hair in the time of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace). It is therefore wrong to say that make-up is inadmissible in Islam and take a stance against these women with a very biased viewpoint.
6) The Idea that Mr. Oktar Regards Himself As a Sultan and Espouses the Turkish-Islamic Union in Order to Assume Leadership of this Unity Is Groundless and Baseless
Mr. Oktar has never made the slightest suggestion that he has any desire to become allegedly a leader or “sultan” of the Turkish-Islamic world or any expectation thereof. Let alone making a statement regarding this, he has never given even the slightest hint to that effect.
Mr. Oktar desires Turkish-Islamic Union, not in order to lead this Union, but in order for the oppression in the world to come to an end and to see the building of world peace and a climate of brotherhood in which different nations and beliefs can live together under democracy. This, like all the other allegations on Balkanist.net, is a groundless claim, the product of fantasy and devoid of any evidence.
7) The Fallacy of the Claim that Mr. Oktar Is Addressed As Sultan:
This is nothing but an extremely ridiculous, imaginary fiction put forward in an unskillful fashion to support the role attempted to be fictionalized on Balkanist.net. There is not a single person around Mr. Oktar who addresses him as “Sultan”. Also the participants on A9 TV also have never addressed him so. Mr. Oktar has also never asked for being addressed in such a way.
However, Mr. Oktar does from time to time address people older than him who he specially respects as “my Sultan.” The term “my sultan” in Turkish is a word that can be used to express affection and respect and to honor the recipient.
8) The Delusiveness of Linking Mr. Oktar with some Political Figures and the Claim that Contacts Were Made with the Welfare Party to Secure Economic Advantages
It is striking that a special effort is made in the piece in question to link Mr. Oktar with some political figures. Mr. Oktar does make political remarks on his programs about the daily, political developments in the world, but he has many times stated that he has no ties to any political party. For example, Mr. Oktar frequently states that he admires the CHP’s support for a modern Turkey and secularism, the MHP’s opposition to the fragmentation of Turkey, and the steps taken toward freedom and democracy and accomplishments in economy by the AK Party. More than that, Mr. Oktar frequently reiterates, at every available opportunity, that he has made friendships with communists, atheists and members of different faiths, even though they hold different worldviews than his own.
Although the piece alleges that Mr. Oktar unreservedly backs the Prime Minister of Turkey, that is untrue. Mr. Oktar criticizes many of the government’s policies; for instance he calls for the removal of some actions restricting freedoms, draws attention to the peril of federalism and sovereign regions, often reminds that all sections of society must be embraced.
The piece published on the web site also contains a false allegation that Mr. Oktar and a group of his colleagues established ties with some politicians in order to seek material gain. A politician being a guest in the home of one of the members of the Foundation quite clearly cannot be regarded as evidence of corruption in any part of the world. The way that the site carried this in the report, backed up by no evidence, documentation or other information, is illogical.
Similar claims to those carried on the Balkanist.net web site have frequently been made in order to blacken the names of companies, parties and groups of a devout nature in 1998-2002, known as the 28th February process in Turkey, and for purposes of provocation.
Due to these false allegations the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), affiliated to the Finance Ministry, carried out a detailed investigation into the assets of Mr. Oktar and his colleagues. Three separate official MASAK reports based on these investigations and subsequently sent to the courts stated that neither Mr. Oktar nor any members of the SRF had assets or cash acquired by illicit means.
ALLEGATIONS OF ILLEGAL EARNINGS WERE DEMOLISHED BY THE STATE’S OWN REPORTS
The Balkanist.net web site’s claim that links have been established with politicians is nothing other than a repetition of a baseless allegation that has been thrown out by the Turkish courts.
9) Mr. Adnan Oktar was held in a mental hospital as a part of a conspiracy
Mr. Oktar has been subjected to many plots since he has been waging a very comprehensive and powerful ideological struggle worldwide against atheist, Darwinist, materialist and communist groupings. One is the alleged “schizophrenia diagnosis”, which was annulled when it was proved to be a groundless plot by the related institutions. This allegation was refuted by Forensic Medicine Institute, and Military Hospital issued a sanity report.
Mr. Oktar was held in mental hospital among the most severely damaged mental patients for 10 months without any justification simply because of the unease his book Judaism and Freemasonry caused in certain circles. He was also held in a cell in prison for 9 months. This method of dissuasion employed to put an end to Mr. Oktar’s activities continued for around 19 months through various forms of torture and maltreatment. That diagnosis, the result of a plot to discredit Mr. Oktar, was subsequently annulled by a military hospital and Mr. Oktar was reported to be “psychologically and physically healthy.” The report in question was also approved by the Supreme Specialty Council.
During the period Mr. Oktar was held in the mental hospital some Darwinist press organs raised this subject on a frequent basis and often published writings against him. However, when the military hospital annulled this unfounded report against Mr. Oktar, these press organs never said a word about the military hospital’s report verifying his physical and psychological well-being.
Similarly, Balkanist.net still employs this devious tactic and only mentions the fake report and never mentions the fact that it is annulled.
ADNAN OKTAR’S “SANITY” REPORT ISSUED BY THE GULHANE MILITARY MEDICAL ACADEMY.
10) Response to allegations based on monetary considerations against members of the SRF
The claims made by Balkanist.net regarding SRF members’ attitude toward their families are based on atrocious slanders. Only 4-5 families, whose names are included in the evidence files of the case concerned and known to be supported by Alleged Ergenekon Terror Organization members, voiced the slanders produced by this alleged terror organization through various speculations. They tried to affect the judgment and waged negative propaganda against the SRF community.
In order to see the respect and love of SRF members for their families, one should consider the deep convictions of HUNDREDS of families who explicitly express their views and love for Mr. Oktar and the SRF community rather than a mere 4-5 families supported by the Alleged Ergenekon Terror Organization. Hundreds of families express their happiness at how Mr. Oktar educated their children while growing up as devout individuals possessed of moral perfection and state that their children are always their greatest supporters and helpers, including in times of hardship and sickness.
The claim that “families provide money for the community“ is another consequence of the provocation carried out by people from the alleged organization. This claim, which is intended to influence the court and cause indignation among the public, has not a single solid piece of evidence behind it. This claim has been utterly disproved by the testimonies before the court given by 4 people whose names are mentioned in the SRF case indictment. There are no witnesses, or complainants or aggrieved parties on this subject.
Furthermore, members of the SRF community are generally married people, 40-45 years old, with regular family and business lives. All are graduates of prominent Turkish and foreign universities who have successful professional lives. This claim made against them is unbecoming to their personalities and life styles. This aside, considering their financial situations, it is clear that they would never need something like that.
In addition, as can also be seen from the statements by the families, these families receive financial assistance from their children. As a requisite of our religion, all members of the SRF circle regard their families as sacred and show them great respect and love. Consequently, such claims are completely false and are based on improper speculations.
RESPONSES FROM FAMILIES OF THE MEMBERS OF SRF COMMUNITY TO CERTAIN FAMILIES MAKING GROUNDLESS ALLEGATIONS.
11) Baseless Allegations against Adnan Oktar and His Group of Friends:
Another of the groundless claims made against Mr. Oktar and his colleagues in the 28th February process in Turkey is regarding their so-called “hierarchical structure.” The fact is that Mr. Oktar and his colleagues are a group of friends based around love and friendship. This claim, made as part of psychological operations against Mr. Oktar, has also been disproved in court.
Mr. Oktar is not the leader, sheikh or hodja of a religious congregation. He has stated this many times on television programs in which he takes part. He is a writer and a man of ideas. The people around him are not his ”disciples” or his ”men”, but educated, grown-up people with their own professions and social lives. The fact that these people like Mr. Oktar or support his ideas does not mean that they are one community. At most, they may be regarded as a group sharing some ideas.
12) Balkanist.net Attempted to Show the Cocaine Conspiracy against Mr. Adnan Oktar, Which Was Disproved by Judicial Authorities, As If It Was the Truth:
Balkanist.net has raised the subject of a plot against Adnan Oktar that occurred several years ago, of which Mr. Oktar was acquitted in court, trying to make it look like a fact. This was the cocaine plot.
Although the cocaine conspiracy against Mr. Oktar set up by the Alleged Ergenekon Terror Organization was exposed by judicial bodies and shown to bear no truth, the plot has once again been raised by this web site as if it were genuine fact. The fact is that the cocaine conspiracy against Mr. Oktar is an indication of what the Alleged Ergenekon Organization, with its materialist and Darwinist ideology, is capable of solely because of its unease at the spread of Adnan Oktar’s national and spiritual values.
In the middle of 1991, Adnan Oktar and a few colleagues were detained in Izmir with no grounds being provided. He was later transferred to the Istanbul Security Department, where he was held for 72 hours. At the end of 72 hours he was sent to the Forensic Medicine Institution for a cocaine test. It was then announced that a large quantity of a cocaine side-product had been found in his blood. If the enormous amount of cocaine allegedly extracted from Adnan Oktar’s blood had been ingested more than 72 hours before, it would have killed him. This shows that this amount of cocaine had entered his body shortly before, within the previous 72 hours, in other words while he was in detention. In other words, the cocaine had been mixed in with his food while he was detained at the Security Department.
It emerged through reports from 20 foreign forensic medicine institutions and from an official report from the Turkish Forensic Medicine Institution that this was a plot against him, and the court acquitted him, saying the whole thing was a conspiracy. This incident shows the kind of plan set in motion by some sinister forces wishing to hinder Adnan Oktar’s activities and just what they are capable of.
PSYCHOLOGICAL WAR TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED IN THE COCAINE PLOT AGAINST ADNAN OKTAR.
13) The Allegation That Cocaine Is Widely Used in the Group Is Totally Unfounded
This, like all the other claims carried on the site, is another fantastical allegation that is completely untrue, is based on no evidence or information, and was made for the first time by Balkanist.net. Mr. Oktar frequently emphasizes on TV programs on which he appears and in conversations with friends that cigarettes and alcohol are harmful, and explains that he is opposed to everything that is bad for health. Therefore, such a claim can only be the result of deliberate distortion on the part of Balkanist.net.
14) The only evidence behind the allegation of blackmail based on the use of hidden cameras that appears in the indictment is false statements. No other evidence exists.
The Balkanist.net web site also contains accounts based solely on false statements written by the police and signed under duress while under detention, which therefore have no legal bearing. These imaginary accounts refer to “well-known people being blackmailed by the use of hidden cameras” and to “threats being made against these people.”
First of all, in 1999, 45 homes were raided simultaneously at 03:00 am in a move against the SRF. The homes were searched for several hours, but NOT A SINGLE SECRET RECORD or any other violation of the law WAS FOUND. The imputations that appeared, illegally, in the press were part of a smear campaign against the SRF community.
The court possessed not a single piece of evidence to support the claims in question. The reasoned opinion in favor of acquittal issued twice by the prosecutor was based on the fact that THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE PIECE OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THESE or any other accusation, and the prosecutor made this clear in these opinions. The verdicts of acquittal and dismissal of proceedings given by the Courts and public prosecutors totally disprove this claim.
These claims, which are in the court file BUT ARE NOT SUPPORTED EVEN BY A SINGLE PIECE OF SOLID EVIDENCE, are based only on the testimonies signed under duress and torture by the SRF members tried and taken under custody as a result of the plots hatched by the Alleged Ergenekon Terror Organization in 1999. (There are 18 Forensic Medicine reports to the effect that members of the SRF were tortured in detention. It has been confirmed by court decision that SRF member Emre Calikoglu was tortured. Besides, security officials of the time are still on trial for torture, with prosecutors demanding sentences of 216 years for each.)
According to the law, statements signed under torture and in the absence of advocates are utterly invalid. However, the penalty imposed on the SRF case was based on these invalid statements taken by the police.
At the end of the judicial process based on these false testimonies the guilty verdict handed down by the court was OVERTURNED by the Supreme Court of Appeals on 28.12.2009 because of the legal errors it contained.
The guilty verdict and 3-year sentence handed down in 2008 to Adnan Oktar and various members of the SRF community was actually appealed by the prosecutor, on the grounds of totally improper practice and statements taken and signed at the Security Directorate under duress and in the absence of a lawyer, and which were therefore legally inadmissible.
The prosecutor also stated there had been various errors of law and practice committed. He TWICE REQUESTED ACQUITTAL during the court proceedings on the grounds that THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE AGAINST THE DEFENDANTS AND OF THE PROCEDURAL ERRORS COMMITTED BY THE COURT. He also APPEALED AGAINST THE SENTENCE following the ruling. We have complete respect for the court, but this state of affairs is significant in that it showed that the ruling should again be considered by the judicial authorities. Indeed, the Supreme Court of Appeals took this up straight away and OVERTURNED the ruling, citing 5 separate legal violations.
The Balkanist.net web site carries a detailed description of accusations based solely on false statements. The way that the site presents such utter fabrications, devoid of any supporting legal evidence or witnesses, to its readers as if they were true facts is a clear sign of prejudiced behavior.
15) The Baseless Nature of the Allegations Concerning Ebru Simsek:
The fact that allegations made by the individual called Ebru Simsek against Mr. Oktar and the SRF community are utterly false has been established by a number of court rulings. Nonetheless, these total fabrications are constantly reiterated by circles opposed to the intellectual activities of the SRF.
Judicial rulings showing that all of Ebru Simsek’s claims are slanders:
1. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office’s considered acquittal opinion showing that Ebru Simsek’s allegations in Case No. 2006/26, an extension of the SRF case, were slanders and the VERDICT OF ACQUITTAL No. 2007/7 dated 22.01.2007 by the Istanbul 2nd High Criminal Court.
2. The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office’s VERDICT OF NON-PROSECUTION of Ebru Simsek's fantastical claims (in 1999) under ruling No. 96/9848 Hz – 99/8409 K. dated 12.08.1999.
3. The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office’s VERDICT OF NON-PROSECUTION No. 05/27549 Hz. - 05/12003 K. dated 18.10.2005.
4. The Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office’s verdict of non-prosecution No. 02/60013 Hz. - 02/18838 K. dated 31.12.2002 and the Beyoglu 3rd High Criminal Court’s VERDICT OF REFUSAL OF OBJECTION No. 03/458 Mut. dated 28.04.2003 regarding the refusal of objection against the former.
5. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s verdict of non-prosecution No. 02/39606 Hz. - 03/8860 K. dated 30.06.2003 and the Beyoglu 2nd High Criminal Court’s VERDICT OF REFUSAL OF OBJECTION No. 03/333 Mut. dated 03.10.2003 regarding the refusal of objection against the former.
6. The Bagcilar Public Prosecutor’s Office’s verdict of non-prosecution No. 02/21669 Hz. - 03/6120 K. dated 15.10.2003 and the Eyup 2nd High Criminal Court’s VERDICT OF REFUSAL OF OBJECTION No. 03/894 D.Is. dated 02.01.2004 regarding the refusal of objection against the former.
7. The Uskudar Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s verdict of non-prosecution No. 04/7693 Hz. - 04/4749 K. dated 01.07.2004 and the Kadikoy 2nd High Criminal Court’s VERDICT OF REFUSAL OF OBJECTION No. 04/437 Mut. dated 09.09.2004 regarding the refusal of objection against the former.
8. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s VERDICT OF REFUSAL OF OBJECTION No. 05/51724 Hz. – 06/2432 K. dated 27.03.2006.
9. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s VERDICT OF REFUSAL OF OBJECTION No. 05/51725 Hz.
10. Following the known images of Ebru Simsek in the press, an Istanbul University Medical School Department of Forensic Medicine expert carried out an inquiry in which IT WAS ESTABLISHED UNDER REPORT No. 2005/127765 dated 21.10.2005 that Ebru Simsek’s claims were merely slanders.
11. Istanbul 2nd High Criminal Court had the home in the allegations of Ebru Simsek and the home in the images examined by an official expert, accompanied by the court judges. This expert report revealed that THE HOME IN THE IMAGES DEFINITELY DID NOT BELONG TO THE SRF MEMBER.
12. Filiz Karatas, who shared a house with Ebru Simsek at the time she began issuing slanders against the SRF members, gave a witness statement to the court in Istanbul 2nd High Criminal Court file No. 04/337 E. on 09.12.2004 and said that the SRF members were uninvolved in the matter and THAT THEY HAD MADE THIS IMAGINARY ALLEGATION TOGETHER TO SLANDER THE SRF.
13. Ten separate criminal complaints brought by those slandered by Ebru Simsek were examined by 10 different public prosecutors from different offices; these prosecutors concluded, as a result of their investigations, that Ebru Simsek’s claims were slanderous.
16) The Allegation that the “Court System Has Been Misused” is Baseless; the Rights Given to All Citizens under Turkish Law Have Been Brought to Bear:
Another claim on the web site in question is the unfounded allegation that plaintiffs were wronged by defamation lawsuits. Yet everything that happened took place in full public view. Despite the existence of dozens of court rulings that all the allegations were mendacious, Ebru Simsek persisted in making these false allegations against members of the SRF and Mr. Oktar. As a result, Mr. Oktar and the other victims of this slander then took action to protect their own personal rights. That is why the defamation lawsuits filed against Ebru Simsek are not misuse of the law but the use of right bestowed on all citizens under Turkish law. The fact that the courts agreed to hear the claims is proof they are not a misuse of the law.
17) The Claim regarding the Caddisfly in the Atlas of Creation:
The widely known evolutionist Richard Dawkins highlighted the photograph of a caddisfly in Mr. Adnan Oktar’s opus the Atlas of Creation, which caused great impact all around the world, as a great discovery. However, this is a photograph of a model deliberately included in the book by Mr. Oktar. Whether the photograph is of a model or not does not alter the fact that this living creature is still alive in our day.
Desperate, at a loss for words and anguished in the face of the extraordinary evidence for Creation in the magnificent Atlas of Creation that invalidates evolution, Dawkins takes every opportunity to bring up this photograph of a model deliberately included by the author in the book as if it were a great discovery. By this attitude Dawkins embodies the pathetic situation in which Darwinism finds itself. The caddisfly is living in our time with the same appearance as possessed by fossils dating back millions of years. In other words, it has not undergone any changes. That is why Dawkins feels so upset.
