Al Qaida gets a reprieve
The week's news at a glance.
Istanbul
The trial of 69 suspected al Qaida members in Turkey was abruptly canceled this week, on its opening day, after the court realized it had no authority to hear the case. Legal changes made last month to bring Turkey’s judicial system in line with E.U. norms abolished the system of “political courts,” which were originally set up in the 1980s to try Kurdish militants. The trial has been postponed until new tribunals are established. The 69 men are suspected of involvement in the near-simultaneous bombing of two synagogues and two British targets in Istanbul last November, in which 61 people died and more than 600 were injured.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Is China winning the AI race?
Today's Big Question Or is it playing a different game than the US?
-
5 refreshing podcasts you may have missed this spring
The Week Recommends Exploring the cultural impact of Jerry Springer, a look at contemporary spending habits and more
-
Mortgages: The future of Fannie and Freddie
Feature Donald Trump wants to privatize two major mortgage companies, which could make mortgages more expensive