Council of State to hear Turkish officer’s appeal

The Council of State is to hear the asylum appeal of one of eight Turkish servicemen wanted by Ankara in connection to the 2016 attempted coup in Turkey, a council of judges from the country’s highest administrative court has decided.

The decision followed an appeal by the serviceman’s lawyers and a date for the hearing is to be set next week. The verdict will apply to all eight of the servicemen, sources said.

As a result of Friday’s decision, a scheduled hearing on February 15 of a government request to suspend the granting of political asylum to the officer will be postponed.

Greece’s independent asylum authority granted asylum to the officer in December, prompting the government to appeal.

Ankara has put pressure on Athens to extradite the servicemen, who it calls traitors.