Ankara: Turkey on Monday opened the biggest trial yet over the failed July coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, trying 270 suspects including, in absentia, the alleged mastermind Fethullah Gulen.

The suspects, 152 of whom are in pre-trial detention, include ex high-ranking military officials like former Aegean Army Command Chief of Staff Major General Memduh Hakbilen, the state news agency Anadolu reported.

The "number one" suspect is US-based Islamic preacher Gulen who is charged with ordering the failed July 15 coup, an accusation he strongly denies.

Ankara also accuses the movement Gulen leads of being a "terror organisation" although the group insists it is a peaceful organisation promoting moderate Islam.

Those on trial in the western city of Izmir face multiple charges including being a member of the "armed terror group".

Turkey has repeatedly asked the United States to extradite Gulen, who has been living in exile there since 1999.

The previous administration of Barack Obama had insisted that a possibly slow legal process should take its course but Ankara is hoping for a more eager response to its extradition request from new President Donald Trump.

Other charges against the suspects include seeking to prevent parliament performing its duty as well as attempting to remove the constitutional order, the agency said.

The suspects face life imprisonment if convicted in a trial expected to take two months, the Hurriyet newspaper reported.

It said Izmir was believed to be one of the main plotting hubs of the coup with the Aegean city used as a "logistical base".

A special courtroom was built to accommodate the size of the trial and security was tight ahead of the hearing.

Intensive security measures included a drone above the courthouse, bomb-sniffing dogs and commando units.

Previous trials have opened in Istanbul and smaller cases in other provinces in what is expected to be the largest legal process in the country's history.

Some 43,000 people are under arrest ahead of trial in a large-scale crackdown within a state of emergency declared after the coup which remains in place.

In December, 29 police officers went on trial in Istanbul accused of failing to defend Erdogan while 62 rebel soldiers are being tried over claims they attempted to take over Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport on the night of July 15. </s> A grand jury on Tuesday indicted 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, in connection with a brawl in Washington between protesters and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s security personnel in May, U.S. prosecutors said.

Eleven people were hurt in what Washington’s police chief described as a “brutal attack” on peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence during Erdogan’s visit to the United States.

The incident, which took place after Erdogan met with President Donald Trump at the White House, put further stress on already strained U.S.-Turkey relations.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement charges had already been brought against 16 of the defendants, and Tuesday’s indictment added three to the list.

The three were named as Muhsin Kose, Yusuf Ayar and Harrettin Eren, adding they were among the 15 Turkish security officials indicted. The statement did not specify the others in the list.

“All 19 defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, with a bias crime enhancement,” it said. The charge is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison and bias enhancement could lead to longer sentences, the statement said.

Only two of the 19 are in custody, and they are due to appear in court on Sept. 7, the statement said.

The Turkish Embassy has blamed the violence on demonstrators linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which Turkey and the United States consider a terrorist group. </s> The biggest trial of suspects accused of involvement in last year's failed military coup attempt in Turkey has opened in a prison outside the capital, Ankara.

About 330 people were put on trial in Sincan district on Tuesday, and if convicted, they could face multiple life sentences over their alleged links to the attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July.



More than 240 of those named in the indictment are in custody, according to state-run news agency Anadolu.



The suspects, many of them from the Polatli artillery and missile school command in Ankara, have been charged with murder or attempted murder.



They are also accused of attempting to remove the government and parliament of the Turkish republic or trying to prevent those institutions from conducting their work.

READ MORE: Turkey's failed coup attempt - All you need to know

The case is being heard at Sincan prison where there was heavy security in place, with a water cannon truck on site and a drone flying overhead as families arrived for the hearing.



The court, which has space for 1,558 people, including 720 defendants and 600 lawyers, was packed with security forces surrounding the suspects as they testified.

'Be prepared'

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 coup attempt on Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen - who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States - and his movement.

Turkey has denounced the movement as a "terrorist" organisation and the suspects on trial at Sincan are also accused of belonging to an armed "terror" group.

READ MORE: Erdogan 'assassination plot' trial begins in Mugla

The hearing is one of several cases that opened across the country this month, with 47 people going on trial in the western city of Mugla on charges of attempting to assassinate Erdogan.

A state of emergency was declared following the July 15 failed coup attempt, while more than 43,000 people have since been placed in pre-trial detention.

The state of emergency remains in place as the trials get under way in the biggest legal process in the country's history. </s> WASHINGTON – Three new people have been indicted by a grand jury for their role in a violent clash between Turkish security officials and protesters outside Turkey’s embassy in Washington in May.

A total of 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, have been indicted for the May 16 incident. On Tuesday, the indictment added three new defendants — all Turkish security officials.

On May 16, there was an altercation at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Northwest D.C. Eleven people were injured, including a police officer, in the melee.

All 19 defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, with a bias crime enhancement. Many were indicted on additional charges.

Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others. </s> The biggest trial of suspects accused of involvement in last year's failed July coup opened in Turkey on Tuesday 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, with a water cannon truck on site and a drone flying overhead as families arrived for the hearing.

The courtroom — which has space for 1,558 people — was packed with security forces surrounding 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.

Turkey has denounced the movement as a terrorist organisation and the suspects on trial at Sincan are also accused of belonging to an armed terror group.

The hearing is one of several cases that opened across the country this month, with 47 people going on trial in the western city of Mugla on charges of attempting to assassinate Erdogan.

Until now, the largest had been in the Aegean city of Izmir where 270 suspects went on trial late last month, among them Gulen who was being tried in absentia.

Following the failed putsch, Ankara declared a state of emergency and began a widespread crackdown, placing more than 43,000 people in pre-trial detention.

The state of emergency remains in place as the trials get under way in the biggest legal process in the country's history. </s> WASHINGTON — A total of 19 people, including 15 identified as Turkish security officials, were indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in the U.S. capital for attacking protesters in May 2017 during a U.S. visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The indictments charge the defendants with attacking peaceful demonstrators who had gathered on May 16 ... </s> (WASHINGTON) — A grand jury in the U.S. capital has issued indictments for 19 people, including 15 identified as Turkish security officials, for attacking protesters in May 2017.

The indictments, announced Tuesday, charge the defendants with attacking peaceful demonstrators who were protesting the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 17. All 19 are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Several face additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

Sixteen of the defendants had already been charged June 13; Tuesday's indictment adds three new defendants, all Turkish security officials.

Two of the defendants were arrested in June and face an initial court hearing on Sept. 7. The rest remain at large. </s> On the eve of a major constitutional referendum, Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into 17 US politicians, bureaucrats and academics in connection with the attempted coup that rocked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government last year.

Included in the investigation are former CIA Director John Brennan, former CIA Deputy Director David Cohen, and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer. The officials are accused of collaborating with Turkish resistance groups to overthrow President Erdogan, a Turkish state-run news service reported on Saturday.

Also named in the inquiry are Preet Bharara, former US attorney for the Southern District of New York and Henri Barkey, director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul plans to investigate the individuals’ entry to Turkey, their meetings while there, and any ties to Turkish expatriate Fethullah Gulen and the Gulenist movement he founded.

Turkey experienced its bloodiest coup attempt in recorded history on 15 July, 2016, when a subset of the Turkish military drove tanks into the streets and dropped bombs on Istanbul and Ankara. The coup was eventually quelled by President Erdoğan's loyalists, but 241 people were killed and 2,194 injured.

The Turkish government blames the attempted coup on Fethullah Gulen, a former supporter of Mr Erdogan who has lived in exile in the United States since 1990. Mr Gulen is a moderate Muslim cleric who engaged in a battle for power with the more conservative Mr Erdogan in 2013. The 17 officials on the list are now suspected of working with Mr Gulen to orchestrate the coup from abroad.

In a telephone interview with The Independent, Mr Barkey denied anyone on the list had contacted Mr Gulen in years. Turkish officials, he claimed, launched the investigation to stir up anti-Western sentiment ahead of the county’s constitutional referendum on Sunday.

“To have a big indictment of the former head of the CIA, the former US prosecutor from New York, this is one more little reminder to the public that these nasty foreigners are the ones who organised the coup attempt,” Mr Barkey said.

Sunday’s referendum could shift the Turkish system of government from parliamentary to presidential, expanding Mr Erdoğan’s power over national security, the judicial system, and more. Critics claim the change would strengthen Mr Erdogan’s increasingly autocratic grip on the country.

Mr Erdogan has fallen out of favour with the west in recent years for jailing journalists and labelling opposition parties as terrorist organisations. Now, voters who seek to curtail the president's powers say they have received death threats ahead of Sunday's referendum.

Surveys from polling company Konda showed a 51 per cent chance of a “yes” vote on Saturday. </s> SINCAN: The biggest trial of suspects accused of involvement in last year's failed coup opened in Turkey on Tuesday (Feb 28) 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 last July.

Over 240 of those named in the indictment are already 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 Turkish republic's government and parliament, 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, with a water cannon truck on site and a drone flying overhead as families arrived for the hearing.

The courtroom - which has space for 1,558 people - was packed, with security forces surrounding the suspects as they testified.

On the night of Jul 15, hundreds of people stood outside the Polatli command base while thousands took to the streets in the district to stop the coup bid.

The first suspect, a military cadet called Abdulkadir Kahraman, told the court that on the night of the coup, troops were 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".

Some of the suspects added that a senior army officer told them to be prepared to use their weapons, Anadolu reported.

"The lieutenant-colonel said, 'There is an attack outside, we will ensure the people's security. We trained you for this day. If needed, use weapons'," suspect Ahmet Tamur told the court.

The cadet added that some members of the public had attacked the soldiers while others helped protect them. The suspects' family members outside the prison told AFP they wanted justice.

Samet Oral urged the president to "watch our situation, to see how we are," adding: "We only ask for justice."

Sunduz Baykara said that some of the suspects were innocent of the charges and yet remained in custody. "Even though our children didn't shoot, even though they have been beaten up by the people, it has been now eight months they stand behind bars."

Ankara has blamed the failed putsch on Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen - who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States - and his movement.

Turkey has denounced the movement as a terrorist organisation and the suspects on trial at Sincan are also accused of belonging to an armed terror group.

Chief of General Staff General Hulusi Akar is one of the complainants in the case along with Gendarmerie Forces Commander General Yasar Guler.

The hearing is one of several cases that have opened across the country this month, with 47 people going on trial in the western city of Mugla on charges of attempting to assassinate Erdogan.

Until now, the largest had been in the Aegean city of Izmir where 270 suspects went on trial late last month, among them Gulen, being tried in absentia.

Following the failed putsch, Ankara declared a state of emergency and began a widespread crackdown, placing more than 43,000 people in pre-trial detention.

The state of emergency remains in place as the trials get underway in the biggest legal process in the country's history.

The first verdicts were handed down to a colonel and major last month when they were sentenced to life in jail in the northeastern city of Erzurum for violating the constitution.
The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul launches an investigation into 17 United States citizens in connection with the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt.