July 2016 Turkish military asylum incident in Greece

Greece rejected Turkey’s extradition request for a member of the outlawed far-leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C) on March 6 amid tension that ignited after two Greek soldiers were detained on Turkish border.

An Athens court on Tuesday turned down a fresh request for the extradition of one of nine men arrested in November on suspicion of belonging to a Turkish far-left militant group.

Greece is not planning to exchange two soldiers held by Turkey after illegally entering the country with eight Turkish soldiers who seek asylum in Greece, the Greek junior foreign minister said on March 3.

 The Council of State is expected to issue a ruling in March on the asylum request of one of the eight Turkish servicemen who fled to Greece in a helicopter during the coup attempt in Turkey in 2016.

Appeals Prosecutor Georgios Voulgaris has ruled against the detention of eight Turkish soldiers wanted in connection with Turkey's failed 2016 coup after Ankara made a second request for their extradition.

The Council of Appeals Court Judges has yet to hear the second request from Ankara but Voulgaris deemed the soldiers should not be detained by Greek authorities in the meantime.

The Council of State is to hear the asylum appeal of one of eight Turkish servicemen wanted by Ankara in connection to the 2016 attempted coup in Turkey, a council of judges from the country's highest administrative court has decided.

The defense team of one of eight Turkish servicemen wanted by Ankara in connection to the 2016 failed coup has submitted a request for the asylum case to be heard by the Council of State for the whole group, Kathimerini understands.

Amid fresh pressure from Ankara to extradite eight Turkish military officers that are seeking asylum in Greece, Athens also has to contend with the fact that the maximum detention period for the servicemen is due to expire soon.

Greece will not extradite eight Turkish soldiers who fled there after the failed 2016 coup but an offer to try them in Athens is still open, the justice minister said on Jan. 23.

An administrative court is expected to rule on Tuesday on whether the detention of a Turkish serviceman who fled an attempted coup in Turkey in 2016 and has sought political asylum in Greece is legal or not.