Turkish 'coup' Officers 'afraid' To Stay In Greece: Lawyers
Sumaira FH Published May 16, 2018 | 07:52 PM
Eight Turkish officers who fled to Greece following the failed 2016 army coup are now "afraid" to stay and want to leave the country, their lawyers said Wednesday
Athens, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th May, 2018 ) :Eight Turkish officers who fled to Greece following the failed 2016 army coup are now "afraid" to stay and want to leave the country, their lawyers said Wednesday.
"They are afraid of staying in Greece" because of possible capture by Turkish state agents, law professor Nikos Alivizatos, a member of the defence team, told a news conference. If granted access and travel documents, they will seek to relocate to another EU country or elsewhere, he said.
Two of the eight men -- whom Ankara wants to extradite as 'terrorists' - have been granted asylum. The Greek state has contested the ruling, and the country's top administrative court is to decide on the issue soon.
The case is awkward for Athens, which relies on Turkey's assistance in stemming huge migratory and refugee flows from crossing the Aegean. A further complication arose in March, when Turkish forces arrested two Greek soldiers who crossed the border whilst allegedly lost in the fog.
They have been incarcerated for the past two months. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month floated the idea of an exchange, which was flatly rejected by his Greek counterpart Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
Greece's Supreme Court has ruled that the eight Turkish soldiers will not be extradited, arguing that they would not have a fair trial at home. The refusal of other EU countries such as Germany and the Netherlands to extradite Turkish diplomats and officers also caused problems in their relations with Turkey, said Vassilis Papadopoulos, legal coordinator of the Greek council for refugees.
Ankara says the soldiers are part of the movement led by Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for masterminding the coup attempt. The men deny involvement in the coup bid.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
Earthquake jolts Karachi
Sindh minister orders operation after attack on police in Ghotki
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
More Stories From World
-
Football: English Championship table
58 minutes ago -
Time for 'democratic transition' in Venezuela: opposition candidate to AFP
1 hour ago -
Spain's Pedro Sanchez : a risk-taker with a flair for survival
1 hour ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 table
2 hours ago -
Nadal will only play French Open if he can 'compete well'
2 hours ago -
Ukraine, Israel, TikTok: the massive aid package before US Congress
2 hours ago
-
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
2 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 results
2 hours ago -
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
3 hours ago -
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
3 hours ago -
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
4 hours ago -
Anger among Ukrainians in Poland as Kyiv halts passport renewals
4 hours ago