FILE - Two of eight Turkish military officers, center, come out of a police van after their arrival at an Administrative Court in Athens, Monday, Jan. 30, 2017. The Turkish servicemen appeared at the court to express their objection about the decision of the Greek state to remain in custody for three more months following the rejection of the extradition request by the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
ATHENS – At the same time he wants asylum revoked for a Turkish soldier who was one of eight who fled a failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras doesn’t want them extradited.
Where that would leave them is uncertain but government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos has said the eight Turkish soldiers “will not be extradited regardless of the outcome of their asylum applications.”
In a message posted on social media, Tzanakopoulos said the asylum claims submitted by the soldiers concerns their granting of refugee status. “This is a completely different from their non-extradition,” he said, without explaining what would happen to them if they don’t get asylum and aren’t sent back to Turkey, as are refugees and migrants who Turkey dispatched to Greek islands if they don’t get asylum, which means they’ll be returned.
Turkey said the decision by a Greek asylum board to grant asylum to one of the eight soldiers could have grave consequences for relations between the two countries and accused Greece of harboring “coup plotters.”
Tzanakopoulos said it was up to the Greek justice system to decide if the soldier who is the first to get asylum could then be entitled to refugee protection and isn’t extradited but hinted again that Tsipras’ sympathies were with Erdogan’s demand the soldiers be sent back even though a Greek court ruled against it, saying their lives were in danger.
The men said they took no part in the coup in July, 2016 and were fleeing for their lives, fearing Erdogan’s wrath, before the Turkish President called for the death penalty for his enemies, drawing the ire of the European Union he wants his country to join.
Tzanakopoulos said the soldier’s fate could be weighed, “in light of the enormous political significance of the issue which directly impacts on relations with the neighboring country,” suggesting they should be sacrificed for political expediency.
“The political position of the Greek government is nevertheless clear,” Tzanakopoulos said. “Those suspected of being involved in Turkey’s coup are not welcome,” another leaning against the men.
The major rival New Democracy said Tsipras contradicted himself, noting he earlier had said he would abide by the court’s ruling not to extradite but wanted to set in motion a scheme to also overturn that after Erdogan said the Greek Premier promised him the men would be sent back.
But Tzanakopoulos mocked and ridiculed the Conservatives for pointing out the contradiction, saying it technically wasn’t correct.
“ND is obviously ignoring the fact that second degree asylum committees are administrative bodies,” Tzanakopoulos tweeted, even though the request to annul the asylum means it would ultimately go back to the courts as the Conservatives said Tsipras was trying to obstruct justice.
ΠΗΓΗ https://www.thenationalherald.com/186243/tsipras-wants-ways-turkish-soldiers-no-asylum-no-extradition/
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