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Crime

Erdogan declares dress code for coup suspects

August 6, 2017

Suspected coup plotters will wear new almond-colored uniforms before Turkish courts, according to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Previously, Erdogan said he would like the uniforms to be "like in Guantanamo."

https://p.dw.com/p/2hl1U
Police takes a student wearing a 'Hero' shirt into custody
Image: Picture-alliance/Zumapress/Depo Photos

Turkish authorities would require the suspects two wear two kinds of uniforms – a brown jumpsuit for "coup plotters" and jackets and trousers in the same color for "terrorists," Erdogan said at a rally in the city of Malatya on Saturday.

"From now on, there is no coming dressed as they want," the Turkish strongman told his supporters at a stadium opening ceremony.

"They will be introduced to the world like that," he added, describing the color of the uniform as "almond."

Read more: Main coup trial begins in Turkey against nearly 500 suspects

'Hero' or villain

Hundreds face judges in Turkey coup trial

The new dress code comes in response to a controversy last month, when one of the defendants showed up in an Ankara court wearing a T-shirt with the word "Hero" on it. The images of the suspect triggered outrage on social media, with users claiming the shirt insulted the 249 victims of the failed coup in 2016. However, dozens of people were subsequently detained by the police for wearing similar T-shirts. On one occasion, police chased down a young couple riding a motorbike after they noticed their "Hero" shirts.

Commenting on the Ankara incident in July, Erdogan said that suspects for coup-related crimes should wear uniforms "like in Guantanamo," referring to the infamous US military prison that dresses their inmates in bright orange jumpsuits. At least 50,000 people have been detained in the crackdown after the coup attempt.

dj/bw (Reuters, dpa, AP, AFP)