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Turkey begins mass trial of suspected coup leaders
By EUobserver
The trial of 221 high-ranking military officers – accused of trying to oust Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in last July's failed coup – began Monday, amid heavy security in Turkey. Outside the courthouse, the crowd called for the death penalty, which was banned in Turkey in its bid to join the EU. Erdogan blames the attempted coup on the US-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, a claim he strongly denies.