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General suspected in death of president

ANKARA, Turkey, April 4 (UPI) -- A retired general is a suspect in the 1993 death of Turkish President Turgut Ozal, says the prosecutor who filed an indictment Thursday.

In the 50-page indictment, prosecutor Kemal Cetin accused Brig. Gen. Levent Ersoz of having a role in Ozal's death, Today's Zaman reported.

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Ersoz was charged under a section of Turkish law that deals with conspiracy against the president. He also is a suspect in the trial of a network of military officers accused of attempting to overthrow the government.

Ozal's death was attributed to heart failure, but the government launched an investigation after witnesses raised questions about events surrounding his death, suggesting he had been poisoned.

An autopsy found toxic substances in Ozal's remains, but was unable to determine if they had caused the president's death.

In a document filed with the indictment, the prosecutor said "there is a strong suspicion that Ozal was the victim of an organized and premeditated murder."

The statute of limitations in Ozal's death expires April 17.

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