The trial of 26 suspects accused of links to Islamic State and involvement in a January 2016 suicide bombing that killed 12 German tourists in the historic heart of Istanbul resumes on Monday.
Turkish authorities had identified the bomber as a 28-year-old Syrian national and blamed the attack on the Islamic State extremist group.
No organisation claimed responsibility.
The trial was delayed in November and an Istanbul court is expected to issue verdict on Monday.
Four of the suspects are in pre-trial detention.
Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for three of the defendants for deliberate murder “with the aim of terrorism’’ and 15 years behind bars for one other.
A fifth suspect was released in November.
The remaining 21 are being tried in absentia.
An indictment over the attack said that the four men, three Syrians and one Iraqi, helped smuggle the bomb and the suicide bombers into Turkey across the Syrian border one month ahead of the attack.
The high-ranking suspected Islamic State militant who planned the attack is believed to be in Iraq, according to the indictment. (dpa/NAN)
