Turkey to consider Greek soldiers' case if coup suspects returned
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 21 April said his government would consider the case of two Greek soldiers jailed in Turkey if Athens extradited soldiers suspected of the 2016 failed coup.
Turkey is holding in pre-trial detention two Greek soldiers who crossed the border on 2 March, claiming to have lost their way in the fog.
The pair, held in the northern Turkish province of Edirne, have been charged with espionage.
'[Greece] ask us to give back the Greek soldiers and we told them "if you make such a demand, you should first give us FETO soldiers involved in a coup against our state",' Erdogan told the private NTV television in an interview.
FETO is a name Ankara gives for a movement led by Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who it blames for masterminding the failed coup aimed at unseating Erdogan.
Gulen, based in the US state of Pennyslvania, has denies the accusations.
'If they are handed to us, we will consider,' the situation on Greek soldiers, he said.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras earlier this month demanded the release of the two soldiers, arguing that they should not be 'pawns to blackmail'.
Turkey's ties with Greece have taken a strained turn over Athens' failure to extradite eight Turkish soldiers Ankara says were part of the coup bid.
Greek authorities say they would not have a fair trial in their home country as the purge of Erdogan opponents continue under the state of emergency.
Erdogan on on 21 April said Greece had become a 'first stop' for coup suspects who later flee to other European countries.
More from Defence Notes
-
UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
-
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.
-
Collins MAPS Gen II to equip US DoD watercraft
US services have already conducted multiple tests with military maritime systems fitted with the system.
-
OCCAR expects substantial boost in programme numbers “in the coming months”
Europe’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) “has to establish itself…as a centre of excellence for cooperative Defence Equipment Programmes” in the face of growing threats and the need for rearmament, according to the organisation’s chairman.
-
MBDA CEO emphasises “moment of truth” for Europe as company sees €37 billion backlog
MBDA CEO Éric Béranger stressed the company’s role supporting European countries with complex weapon systems and focused on boosting production against the backdrop of “shifting” geopolitical alliances.