Justice Ministry to adopt uniform attire for terror suspects to wear in court

ANKARA

The Turkish Justice Ministry is set to begin arrangements for a uniform for Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) suspects to wear in court, government spokesperson Numan Kurtulmuş has announced, after a suspect had stirred debate by appearing before a judge wearing a shirt that read “hero.”

“Our courts are acting along with the principle of the rule of law and they are open, but it is appropriate for the FETÖ suspects to wear uniforms in court. Arrangements will be made by our Justice Ministry,” Kurtulmuş told reporters during the cabinet meeting on July 17.

His comments came after a FETÖ suspect, who is on trial for his alleged participation in the July 2016 coup attempt, had stirred a debate after he appeared in court wearing a t-shirt that read “hero.”

Following the debate, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had slammed the suspect and had hinted at “uniform attire.”

“Let’s bring them [to the courts] in a uniform as was done in Guantanamo,” Erdoğan said in Istanbul on July 15, marking the first anniversary of the foiled coup, referring to the Guantanamo Bay detention camps located in Cuba operated by the United States.

Kurtulmuş said before the suspect who had worn the “hero” t-shirt in court, the terror suspects who wore suits in court had “also offended the nation.”

“Some of them are among the team who had attempted to assassinate our president; some are among those who have killed the nation with the jets and helicopter they have aviated,” he said.

“We will share the details after the preparation is complete, but all the members of terrorist organizations, primarily FETÖ, will be brought to court in a uniform. I cannot share the details because the work is not yet finished, but the Justice Ministry will take the issue onto their agenda and settle it as soon as possible,” he added.