Turkey Court Delays Terror Suspects' Trial

[maddezmom]

18 minutes ago

By JAMES C. HELICKE, Associated Press Writer

ISTANBUL, Turkey - The trial of 69 suspected members of a Turkish al-Qaida cell accused in a string of November suicide bombings in Istanbul was postponed Monday after the court ruled that it did not have the authority to hear the case.


In May, parliament abolished state security courts like the one hearing this trial, but that order does not come into force for about another month. The reform was approved as part of Turkey's bid to join the European Union (news - web sites).


The case opened Monday and the court said that due to the changes it no longer had the authority to hear the case. Turkish authorities are expected to set up new tribunals in the coming months that will deal with this and other cases.


All 69 defendants, however, must still appear before the court this week on procedural grounds, but no testimony will be heard.


The November bombings targeted two synagogues, the British Consulate and the local headquarters of the London-based HSBC bank. Prosecutors say 61 people, including British Consul-General Roger Short, were killed and more than 600 others injured in the attacks.

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