Protesters stand in front of the courthouse in Silivri near Istanbul, where prosecutors are scheduled to deliver their final arguments in the Ergenekon case against 275 people accused of plotting to overturn the Turkey Islamic-leaning government.

The first Ergenekon case trial after the announcement of the prosecutors’ opinion in the alleged “Ergenekon” coup plot case witnessed clashes between thousands of protesters and security forces this morning.

Police and gendarmerie forces used pepper gas and pressurized water against tens of thousands of protesters who pulled down police barriers in front of the 13th Istanbul High Criminal Court in Silivri.

The court continues to try 275 suspects, of whom 67 are under arrest including main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies Proff. Mehmet Haberal and journalist Mustafa Balbay; former Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ; and Workers’ Party (İP) leader Doğu Perinçek.

Prosecutors have demanded aggravated life imprisonment for a number of suspects including Başbuğ, Balbay and Haberal as part of their final opinion in the Ergenekon case on March 18.

The CHP was represented at the hearing with 50 of its deputies, including the deputy leader of the party, Umut Oran, and deputy group chairman Muharrem İnce.

“Even a 5-year-old child knows there is no legal system in Turkey now,” İnce said, Anatolia news agency reported.

Oran also said they demanded a fair, objective trial.

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