Court releases speech lengths of coup case lawyers, suspects

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

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An Istanbul court hearing the Ergenekon coup case has released the estimated times of the speeches made in court by the trial’s lawyers and suspects, with suspect Kemal Kerinçsiz coming top of the list with over 136 hours of speaking.

The 17-page table contained the time the 275 suspects and 238 lawyers have spent speaking in court over the 4.5 years of the trial, including the estimated times for several well-known figures like former Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ and Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Mehmet Haberal.

Kerinçsiz, who topped the list at 136 hours and 55 minutes, is followed by Workers’ Party (İP) head Doğu Perinçek at 62 hours and 52 minutes. In courtroom days, which typically total six hours each, Kerinçsiz has spoken for as long as over 22 days in court and Perinçek for nearly 10 days.

Başbuğ has spoken for two hours and 18 minutes, but only in defense and to provide testimony as he has never spoken in court to voice any demands or requests. Haberal clocked in at 12 hours and 45 minutes, while CHP deputy Mustafa Balbay has spoken for 40 hours and 23 minutes.

Bedrettin Dalan, Emrah Gönenci, Hasan Hüseyin Uçar, İsmail Eksik, Mehmet Murat Yüce, Satılmış Balkaş, Murat Özkan, Mustafa Bakıcı, Saipir Debzelvitze, Turhan Çömez, İlhan Selçuk and Engin Aydın are all suspects that have never spoken during the trial.