Greece: Asylum for Turkish officer temporarily suspended

ATHENS, Greece – An Athens administrative court has accepted the Greek government’s appeal to temporarily suspend the granting of asylum to one of eight Turkish officers who fled to Greece on a military helicopter after the July 2016 failed coup in Turkey.

The court granted the government’s appeal Monday on grounds of public interest and in the interests of the officer himself. The actual asylum case will be heard on Feb. 15.

Greece’s Asylum Appeals Authority granted the officer asylum in December. Earlier last year, Greek courts rejected Turkey’s extradition request for the eight officers, all of whom have applied for asylum in Greece.

The eight deny any involvement in the failed coup. Ankara has demanded they be returned to Turkey, a case that has further strained often-tense Greek-Turkish relations.