State prosecutor called for life imprisonment for Istanbul bombers

A Turkish prosecutor pressed for life sentences on Monday for four defendants charged in connection with the al-Qaeda-linked bombings that killed dozens of people in Istanbul, 2003. The bombings which rocked the city of Istanbul in 2003, hit two synagogues, the local headquarters of the UK based bank HSBC Bank and the British consulate, were claimed to be the work of a Turkish cell of Osama bin Ladens' al-Qaeda terrorist network. Istanbul court will hear charges against 71 suspected Islamist militants in connection with these attacks. State prosecutor Zekeriya Oz, presented the prosecution case on Monday and called for life sentences for Feviz Yitiz, Adnan Ersoz, Yusuf Polat and Harun Ilhan on the grounds that they were "trying to change the constitutional order by force." The prosecution stated that several of the defendants had visited training camps in Afghanistan. "It is clear from the defence read out in court that the group planned to establish a religious regime in Turkey and in many other countries of the world," said the prosecution. Sixty-one people including hundreds of people were wounded in the bombings. The trial continuesÂ