Court adjourns trial of Erdoğan ‘assassins’

MUĞLA – Anadolu Agency

A local court in southern Turkey adjourned trial of more than 40 suspects alleged to attempt to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the failed July 2016 coup attempt.

March 11’s hearing was held at Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s conference in Muğla province, southwestern Turkey.

The “assassination team” accused of targeting Erdoğan was among 44 suspects appearing. They had all been jailed pending trial. Judge Emirşah Baştoğ ruled that concrete evidence were available with criminal reports, autopsy papers and footages.

The court rejected the demand for the release of all suspects and adjourned the trial to April 24. The first hearing was on Feb 20. The suspects have been accused of being part of the “assassination team” targeting Erdogan.

During the night of the coup attempt, two police officers were killed at the scene of Erdoğan’s hotel in the resort town of Marmaris. Later that night Erdoğan told the nation on live television he had narrowly escaped with his life when the hotel was bombed 15 minutes after he left the premises.

The Fetullah Gülen network, led by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, has been accused of orchestrating the foiled coup attempt. The violence left at least 248 people killed and around 2,200 others wounded.

The government also accuses the Gülen network of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.