Turkish prosecutor rejects another appeal for Greek soldiers’ release

A Turkish prosecutor on Tuesday rejected another appeal by two Greek soldiers being detained in a Turkish prison after crossing the border by accident earlier this month.

The soldiers are to remain in prison in Edirne until evidence has been examined, sources said, while Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported that their lawyers have asked for the detention to be commuted to house arrest.

The soldiers' request for release was rejected by a Turkish prosecutor, who noted that they have no address in Turkey where they can be reached.

The protracted detention of the Greek officers was broached at an EU-Turkey summit in Varna, Bulgaria, on Monday when European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk called on Ankara to release the soldiers before Greek Easter.

The EU officials also urged Ankara to stop violations in the Eastern Mediterranean.