| Summary/Abstract |
Are show trials always one-sided affairs? In looking at Turkey, this article argues that they can be venues where competing versions of the past are offered to the public and outcomes need not be pre-ordained. In 1960, Turkey’s government was overthrown in a military coup. Within months of the coup, the military began trials to show the nation both how corrupt the former ruling party had been and how just the new regime would be. Accomplishing both goals proved difficult: by allowing the deposed leaders to tell their version of events, the trials provided an opportunity for defendants to offer an alternative account.
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