The hearings for the asylum claim of the eight Turkish military personnel who fled to Greece after the failed coup attempt in Turkey began on Friday with the first officer.Turkey has accused the eight men for participating in the coup to overthrow the Ankara government on July 15. The men deny the accusations. They claim that if they are returned to Turkey they will be tortured, or even killed.
Ankara is pressing for their extradition, but Athens follows international law for protection of human rights, since it is not guaranteed that they will receive a fair trial in their homeland.
According to Greece’s asylum service, Captain Feridun Coban was taken to the headquarters of the asylum service in Athens accompanied by his lawyer Stavroula Tomara.
The hearings of the remaining officers — three other captains, two commanders and two sergeants — will take place from Monday on.
The procedure will take two to three months, the asylum service said, given the complication of the case.
The eight men who landed with a helicopter on the Alexandroupolis airport were tried for illegal entry in the country. They were sentenced to two months imprisonment. They are detained in Athens, with their hearings pending.
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