Erdogan wants coup suspects to wear Guantanamo-style prison suits

Turkey’s president has said that defendants accused of involvement in last year’s failed coup and terrorism will wear Guantanamo-style orange boiler suits when they appear in court.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there would be two types of brown outfits for criminal suspects: jumpsuits for "coup plotters" and jackets and trousers for "terrorists".

Speaking at a stadium opening in eastern Malatya province, he reiterated an earlier call he made on the July anniversary of the coup to force suspects to wear the jump suits.

"No more coming to court wearing whatever they want," he said. 

Erdogan first demanded court attire "like in Guantanamo" on the anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt.

Days earlier, a former soldier appeared in court wearing a T-shirt with the word "hero".

Dozens have been detained on suspicion of terror propaganda for wearing similar shirts.

More than 50,000 people have been arrested since the bloody overthrow attempt.

A total of 486 suspects will go on trial in a purpose-built courtroom outside Ankara, charged with crimes ranging from murder, violating the constitution and attempting to kill President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.

They are accused of running the coup bid from the Akinci air base northwest of the capital, which the authorities regard as the headquarters of the plotters, where orders were sent out for fighter jets to bomb parliament.

Almost all the suspects - a total of 461 individuals - are held in custody while seven are still on the run and the remainder charged but not in jail.

Among the main suspects named in the indictment but still on the run is US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of ordering the attempted July 15 putsch.

Gulen, who is based in a secluded compound in the US state of Pennsylvania, strongly denies the charges.