Adil Oksuz, a former theology lecturer, reportedly convinced the security forces who rounded him up to belileve that he was looking for an estate ground to purchase in the vicinity of the air base.

Images published by pro-government media outlets showed that the fugitive had been given free pass after his initial detention and not been handcuffed while detained.

Turkey has listed Oksuz in the "red category" of the country's most wanted terror suspects, offering up to 1.2 million U.S. dollars for clues that would lead to his capture. He is believed to have fled abroad, possibly to Germany, according to government sources.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior political figures are among the plaintiffs. The president escaped an assassination during the putsch and his palace in Ankara was also bombed by Air Force jets.

According to the indictment, 68 people were killed by fighter jets that took off from Akinci Air Base.

Fethullah Gulen, who moved to the US in 1999, is accused of leading a campaign since the 1980s to overthrow the state through the infiltration of key institutions, especially the military, police and judiciary. He denies all the charges.

"The core engine of the coup attempts is the Gulen movement, but there were also officers with anti-government sentiments, those with career-advancement goals and those who were blackmailed into joining and lastly some who unquestioningly obeyed commands," said security analyst Metin Gurcan.

The Ankara coup trial is expected to last at least a month.