The indictment demanded a jail term of up to 34 years for Gulen on charges of "conspiracy, forgery of official documents and slander" as part of a probe over a 2011 complaint filed by Mehmet Nuri Turan, the founder of the Istanbul-based publishing house "Tahsiye", who had claimed that he was targeted by Gulen.
The prosecutor also sought prison sentences of up to 26 years for 32 other suspects each, including Samanyolu Media Group Chairman Hidayet Karaca and several police chiefs on charges of "membership to an armed organization, forgery of official documents and slander".
The court ruled for the arrest of prime suspect Gulen in absentia, on the grounds that he was a "fugitive" and "there are phenomena of virtual criminal suspicion, concrete phenomena suggesting that he might hide" and the "measure of judicial control would be insufficient in face of the classification and nature of the crime".
Judges also wanted a letter to be sent to the Ministry of Justice so that a red notice could be issued by Interpol that could lead to the extradition of the suspect by U.S. judicial authorities.
The case will be tried at Istanbul`s Silivri Prison and Correctional Facility, with the first hearings to be held on December 22, 23 and 24.
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