Turkey urges Greece not to become 'safe haven' for coup plotters

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says 995 Turks have applied for asylum in Greece since last year's FETO coup attempt in Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias (L) hold a joint press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Turkey on October 24, 2017. AA
AP

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias (L) hold a joint press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Turkey on October 24, 2017. AA

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Greece on Tuesday to not become a "safe haven" for plotters of last year's coup attempt, citing the 995 people who have applied for asylum there since the failed putsch.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, Cavusoglu said asylum seekers needed to be evaluated to determine those linked to the network of US-based clandestine leader Fetullah Gulen, blamed by Turkey for masterminding the putsch.

"We would not want our neighbour Greece, with whom we are improving our ties, to be a safe haven for Gulenists. We believe these applications will be evaluated meticulously and that traitors will not be given credit," Cavusoglu said.

"All of them should be investigated to see how many are members of FETO," the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, Cavusoglu added.

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Responding to Cavusoglu's comments, Kotzias said the decisions on asylum seekers were made by the Greek judiciary and had to be respected even if "it doesn't please some."

Relations between Turkey and Greece were further strained in May after a Greek court ruled to not extradite eight Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece following last year's coup attempt.

Turkey alleges the men, who fled to Greece in a military helicopter as the July coup unfolded, were involved in efforts to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and has repeatedly demanded they be sent back.

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Greek courts have blocked two extradition requests by Ankara, drawing an angry rebuke from Turkey and highlighting the tense relations between the NATO allies.

Cavusoglu said they believe Greece will not tolerate traitors, despite its courts refusing to extradite eight former soldiers suspected of involvement in the defeated coup attempt.

"We have not lost our hope completely," he said.

He said two other soldiers, accused of trying to assassinate Erdogan on the night of the coup, had also fled to Greece, and that Turkey had demanded their extradition.

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