The Administrative Appellate Court of Athens is expected to review today the government’s petition to block the asylum granted to one of eight Turkish officers who fled to Greece right after the coup attempt against Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July, 2016.
The government’s move drew sharp criticism by opposition parties and the media, as it was viewed as a partial capitulation to a wrathful Erdogan, who discussed the issue with PM Alexis Tsipras during his state visit to Athens in December.
The government requested an injunction to block the granting of asylum by an appellate asylum committee.
At the same time however, it has ruled out extradition of the officers to Turkey, where they have been labeled as terrorists and where the rule of law is a dead letter, as a Greek Supreme Court ruling has already definitively blocked that.
The Gordian knot on the asylum issue will be cut in the end by Greece’s Council of State, the last level of appeal for the Turkish officers.
The appellate asylum committee is expected to rule on the asylum applications of the remaining Turkish officers in the near future.
