Greece rejects extradition of Turkish soldiers

A Greek court ruled against the extradition to Turkey of three Turkish soldiers who fled in the wake of July’s failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, judicial sources said.

The state prosecutor said the lives of the soldiers would be in danger if they were returned to their home country and the court agreed, court officials said.

According to Reuters, Turkey alleges the three were involved in the failed July 15 coup and has branded them traitors. They all deny playing a role in the attempt to dislodge Erdogan from power that led to a purge within the country’s military and civil service.

“I am very pleased with the ruling, they shouldn’t have been extradited… The court was objective,” the defendants’ lawyer Stavroula Tomara told Reuters. He added that the court will rule over the next three days on Turkey’s demand for the extradition of the other five servicemen.

Last July, the Greek Ministry of National Defence announced that a Turkish military helicopter landed in the northern city of Alexandroupolis, eight Turkish soldiers were on board.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mouloud Jawish Ihsanoglu said that he has demanded the Greek government immediately extradite the eight Turkish servicemen.