NEWS

Supreme Court decides fate of Turkish servicemen

Supreme Court decides fate of Turkish servicemen

The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its verdict Thursday on whether or not to extradite eight Turkish servicemen who fled to Greece in a helicopter after a failed military coup in July.

Ankara says the soldiers were involved in the July 15 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and has demanded their swift extradition.

The men, who deny the accusations and have requested asylum in Greece, say their lives would be in danger at home where authorities are purging large numbers of people from the military and other state institutions.

They appeared in court on Monday but the ruling was postponed to Thursday. The case was taken to Greece's top court after previous decisions were contested.

If the Supreme Court rules the soldiers must be extradited, Greece’s justice minister has the power to deny their extradition.

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