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MUGLA, Turkey

A local court in southern Turkey adjourned trial of more than 40 suspects alleged to attempt to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the defeated July 2016 coup.

Saturday's hearing was held at Chamber of Commerce and Industry's conference in Mugla province, southwestern Turkey.

The "assassination team" accused of targeting Erdogan was among 44 suspects appearing. They had all been jailed pending trial.

Judge Emirsah Bastog ruled that concrete evidence were available with criminal reports, autopsy papers and footages.

The court rejected the demand for the release of all suspects and adjourned the trial to April 24.

The first hearing was on Feb 20. The suspects have been accused of being part of the "assassination team" targeting Erdogan.

During the night of the coup attempt, two police officers were martyred at the scene of Erdogan's hotel in the port town of Marmaris.

Later that night Erdogan told the nation on live television he had narrowly escaped with his life when the hotel was bombed 15 minutes after he left the premises.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, has been accused of orchestrating the foiled coup attempt. The violence left at least 248 people martyred and around 2,200 others wounded.

The government also accuses the FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Since the coup, operations have been ongoing in the military, police and judiciary, as well as in state institutions across the country, to arrest suspects with alleged links to FETO.

*Reporting by Levent Kisi, Durmu Genc; Writing by Ilker Girit

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Court adjourns trial of Erdogan 'assassins' to April 24 - Anadolu Agency