ATHENS: A Greek appeals court on Friday rejected a Turkish demand for the handover of eight Turkish soldiers accused by Ankara of having played a direct role in the abortive coup against President Tayyip Erdogan in 2016.
It was the third extradition request Greek courts have refused, an issue which has further strained relations between the long uneasy NATO allies. The Greek court said it had concerns the eight would not face a fair trial in Turkey.
The group fled to Greece in a helicopter on July 16, 2016, as the coup attempt against Erdogan crumbled. Turkey says they are traitors and coup plotters.
In a unanimous decision, the Athens-based Court of Appeal rejected Turkey’s extradition request, filed on the basis of eight charges the soldiers face in their country.
Those charges included involvement in the coup, attempted murder, participation in an armed terrorist group, military desertion and theft of military material.
In its verdict, the court said the charges were vague and had introduced no new elements to materially sway earlier verdicts.
“In each case there are valid concerns of an unfair trial, and the risk of facing torture and humiliating behavior,” a court official said, citing the verdict.
The decision can be appealed.
Greek court rejects Turkey’s request for extradition of eight soldiers
Greek court rejects Turkey’s request for extradition of eight soldiers
Arab and Islamic states reject Israel’s recognition of Somaliland
- Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state” on Friday
- Saudi Arabia on Friday expressed full support for sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity of Somalia
A group of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, alongside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have firmly rejected Israel’s announcement of its recognition of the Somaliland region within Somalia.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the ministers condemned Israel’s decision, announced on December 26, warning that the move carries “serious repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region” and undermines international peace and security, the Jordan News Agency reported.
The statement described the recognition as an unprecedented and flagrant violation of international law and the charter of the United Nations, which uphold the principles of state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, JNA added.
Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state” and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties, as the region’s leader hailed its first-ever official recognition.
The ministers reaffirmed their full support for the sovereignty of Somalia, rejecting any measures that would undermine its unity or territorial integrity.
They warned that recognizing the independence of parts of states sets a dangerous precedent and poses a direct threat to international peace and security.
The statement also reiterated categorical opposition to any attempt to link the move with plans to displace the Palestinian people outside their land, stressing that such proposals are rejected “in form and substance.”
Alongside the Jordanian foreign ministry, the joint statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen, as well as the OIC.
Saudi Arabia on Friday expressed full support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia, and expressed its rejection of the declaration of mutual recognition between Israel and Somaliland.
