Turkey brings in overalls for more than 58,000 suspects

By Kemal Karadag, Merve Aydogan

ANKARA

More than 58,000 defendants will have to wear prison overalls when they appear in court in terrorism cases, a government official said Wednesday.

On Sunday, a decree issued under emergency powers said that prisoners accused of ties to terrorist organizations would have to wear a uniform of brown or grey.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said the decree applied to alleged coup supporters as well as those linked to terrorist groups such as Daesh, the PKK and the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C.

Those accused of attempting to abolish constitutional order by force; trying to replace the constitutional order; attempting to undermine the government by force; or preventing it from performing its duty are to wear a brown jumpsuit indicating alleged involvement in the coup attempt.

The official said 6,800 suspects and convicts would fall into this bracket.

Another 51,700 facing charges of attempting to undermine parliament or prevent it from performing its duty; armed rebellion; attempting assassination or assault against the president; crimes against the state’s security; and crimes against the constitutional order would wear a gray jumpsuit.

The Justice Ministry will draw up the necessary regulations within a month, the official added.

The new rules will not apply to children or pregnant women.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the change in August after a coup suspect appeared in court wearing a T-shirt bearing the word Hero.