Greece: Police thwarts Erdogan assassination attempt in Athens

Nine alleged members of Turkey’s far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) were arrested by Greek police for being suspects in an attempt to assassinate the Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, Greek daily To Vima reported, citing official security sources.

The sources added that the Greek police seized notes during the arrest that revealed the suspects had planned to use rocket launchers, hand grenades, and Molotov cocktails in the assassination.

In the assassination plot, the newspaper noted, Erdogan was codenamed as “Scorpio.”

The group, the newspaper pointed out, had planned to attack Erdogan’s passing convoy with rocket launchers from two sides, with another member attacking from the rear, the paper reported.

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According to the report, the Greek police is working to find the rocket launchers and ammunition buried in the foothills of the Mont Parnitha, east of Athens.

On 7 December, Erdogan paid a historic two-day visit to Greece, the first by a Turkish president in 65 years.

Late November, the Greek police forces arrested nice suspects, all Turkish nationals, in three cells, who belong to DHKP-C. Among the detainees were the alleged attackers of the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Turkish Ministry of Justice in Ankara.

The DHKP-C, which is listed as a terror group by Turkey, the EU, and US, has killed scores of civilians as well as police officers and soldiers since it was formed in 1978. The group has frequently targeted US interests.