-FIRST HEARING OF 69 SUSPECTS ENDS
ISTANBUL - First hearing in trial of 69 suspects, 50 of whom have been staying in prison in connection with suicide truck bomb attacks on November 15 and 20, 2003 in Istanbul, ended on Friday.
Court delegation rejected the demands of three arrested suspects for their release from prison during today's hearing at the Istanbul State Security Court no:2.
The court decided on holding the second hearing for five days beginning on June 28.
During the first hearing, the court released three suspects.
The suspects are claimed to have been involved in those four suicide truck bomb attacks and carried out activities for international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda in Turkey.
Istanbul suffered a series of devastating suicide truck bomb attacks targeting Neve Shalom Synagogue and Beth Israel Synagogue on November 15, 2003 and on HSBC Bank headquarters and British Consulate General in Istanbul on November 20, 2003 in which 61 people were killed and more than 700 people were injured. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for those attacks. Turkish police captured 69 people in connection with the suicide attacks.
(AY) 04.06.2004