Two Turkish citizens detained over crossing into Greece illegally

THESSALONIKI – The Associated Press

Greek police said they have detained two Turkish men who crossed into the country illegally from Macedonia, and arrested a Macedonian man accused of smuggling them into Greece.

The two Turkish men, aged 36 and 39, crossed into Greece on a small boat across Doirani Lake and were detained on the night of Sept. 13, police said in a statement on Sept. 14.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said the two told authorities they were applying for asylum in Greece as they had been accused in Turkey of supporting Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-based preacher widely believed to have masterminded last year’s failed coup.