Turkey summons Greek envoy over Galatasaray PCR test row

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned on Tuesday Greek Ambassador Michael-Christos Diamessis to express its “strong protest” to the treatment of the Galatasaray soccer club ahead of a friendly match in Athens a day earlier, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Galatasaray pulled out of a game against Olympiakos and returned home, accusing Greek officials of discrimination after they refused to accept the players’ PCR tests and asked them to take new ones.

Greek Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias said Tuesday’s friendly was not taking place in the context of an international event with an approved entry protocol, so all those arriving were subject to sampling PCR or rapid testing.

He said that the Turkish team refused to undergo a rapid test in accordance with Greek legislation.