Turkey blasts Greek court for granting asylum right to soldiers linked to coup attempt

ANKARA

Turkey has slammed a court decision in Greece granting the right to apply for asylum to former Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece immediately after the July 2016 coup attempt. 

“This is the most shameful decision that can ever be given for a country,” EU Minister Ömer Çelik said via his Twitter account late on May 23.

“The legal system of the EU-member Greece has decided to protect terrorists who had initiated for a coup attempt in a bid to destroy democracy in Turkey. This mentality has stood with terrorists against Turkey,” Çelik added.

The Greek Council of State on May 23 granted the right for these soldiers to apply for asylum from Greece, despite Turkey’s long-standing request of their extradition.

In a written statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the Greek court’s decision.

“With this decision, Greece has been registered as a country that protects coup plotters in the eyes of the international community,” it said, calling on Greece to “not repeat the same mistake.”