Greece’s Council of State has confirmed the ruling of Asylum Committee to grant asylum to one of the 8 Turkish servicemen who fled to Greece after the failed coup of 2016. The Council of State said that asylum to one of the eight Turkish servicemen is definite and irrevocable. the CoS ruling is considered as a precedent for the rest of the Turkish servicemen.
Greek authorities will now have to provide all necessary documents to the co-pilot of the helicopter and he can travel abroad.
So far, two servicemen have been released, the rest is expected to be released soon too as the pre-detention period of 18 months ends by the end of the month.
They have expressed their wish to leave Greece for another country, in order to ease Ankara’s pressure to Athens regarding their extradition.
According to state broadcaster ERT TV, the 8 Turkish soldiers want to go to Germany.
Greece’s supreme administrative court evaluated Greek government’s objection to the right of asylum given by the Greek Asylum Commission to Suleyman Ozkaynakci, one of former Turkish soldiers.
Turkey has filed three extradition requests that have been rejected by all Greek judicial instances for fears the soldiers would not have a fair trial.
After the CoS ruling, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing Greece of protecting coup plotters.
