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> 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> 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> 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.
About 330 people with alleged links to last year's coup attempt stand trial at a prison outside Ankara on charges of murder and attempting to overthrow the government, the largest trial to date.