330 suspects go on trial for Turkey coup
Print Edition
THE biggest trial of suspects accused of involvement in last year’s failed July coup opened in Turkey yesterday in a courtroom specially built to hold more than 1,500 people.
Some 330 suspects are being put on trial in Sincan outside the capital Ankara, and if convicted, they face multiple life sentences over their alleged links to the attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Over 240 of those named in the indictment are in custody, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.
The suspects, many of them from the Polatli artillery and missile school command in Ankara, have been charged with murder or attempted murder. They also stand accused of attempting to remove the government and parliament of the Turkish republic or trying to prevent those institutions from conducting their work.
The case is being heard at Sincan prison where there was heavy security in place. The courtroom — which has space for 1,558 people — was packed with security forces around the suspects as they testified.
The first suspect, a military cadet called Abdulkadir Kahraman, told the court that on the night of the coup, troops had been informed by their commander that there had been a terror attack and were given ammunition.
Other suspects gave similar statements, including Arif Ozan Demir, who told the court the commander told them there had been an attack and that they should “be prepared.”
Ankara has blamed the failed putsch on Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen — who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States — and his movement.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
