A Greek court
on Wednesday blocked a second request by Turkey for the extradition of soldiers
who fled to Greece in July after a failed coup attempt, court officials said,
potentially increasing tensions between the traditional foes
The ruling
applied to three of eight soldiers who fled. Extradition of three others was
blocked last week. The case of the remaining two is pending.
Turkey alleges
the men were involved in efforts to overthrow President Tayyip Erdogan. It
issued a second extradition request in January after Greece's top court ruled
against the first, covering all eight.
Addressing the
court on Wednesday, the prosecutor argued there was a possibility the men would
not get a fair trial in Turkey. "They may be subjected to torture and
inhumane behavior," the prosecutor said.
The drawn-out
case has highlighted often strained relations between Greece and Turkey, NATO
allies which remain at odds over issues from territorial disputes to
ethnically-split Cyprus.
The three
majors, three captains and two sergeant-majors landed a helicopter in Greece on
July 16 and sought asylum, saying they feared for their lives in Turkey where
authorities have purged large numbers from the military and civil service.
They deny the
charges of attempting to abrogate the constitution, attempting to dissolve
parliament, violently seizing a helicopter and attempting to assassinate
Erdogan.
*Reuters*
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