The eight Turkish officers who fled to Greece after the coup attempt in Turkey were taken to Asylum authorities in Athens on Wednesday morning. The asylum procedure was scheduled to be launched today with individual interviews of the officers who applied for asylum fearing for their lives should they be extradited to Turkey. However they requested and were granted postponement of the procedure until August 19th.
“They wanted to the postponement considering that the developments in Turkey will vindicate them,” one of their lawyers, Lia Marinaki told reporters. “They will be able to collect more evidence within the next 20 days and also clear the issue with their families that were been persecuted.”
The 8 Turkish officers denounce their bank accounts have been frozen and that their homes are practically under occupation with Turkish authorities conducting investigation.
Some 12 hours after the coup attempt on Friday night, July 15th, the 8 Turkish officers landed in Alexandroupolis airport in northeastern Greece falsely claiming that the engine of the Black Hawk helicopter was on fire. They were arrested and charged with 2 months imprisonment on suspension for illegally entering Greece. They applied for asylum claiming that their lives were in danger if they were sent back to Turkey. Ankara has put pressure on Greece to extradite the eight, however, until yesterday, Tuesday, no official extradition requirement had been submitted to Athens.
