Greece’s top court greenlights extradition of Erdogan rival to Turkey
Greece’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, on Tuesday ruled in favor of extraditing businessman Ali Yesildag to Turkey.
The 54-year-old Yesildag, who had significant family and professional connections with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before accusing him of corruption, was arrested in November 2023 by Greek border guards in Evros for illegally crossing the Greek-Turkish border.
Following his arrest, the Bursa Public Prosecutor’s Office requested Yesildag’s extradition from Greece. He had been sentenced by Turkish courts to a total of 19 years and 23 months in prison for various crimes, including murder, kidnapping, and possession of weapons.
In February, the Thrace Court of Appeals upheld Yesildag’s extradition to Turkey. He subsequently appealed to the Council of State to overturn the Deputy Minister of Justice’s decision to extradite him.
Yesildag argued that extradition would expose him to additional charges and risks of torture, as well as harsh and inhuman treatment. He claimed this was due to his fallout with Erdogan and his public disclosures of financial scandals involving the Turkish president and other government officials.
However, the Council of State upheld the extradition decision, finding it consistent with both European and Greek law, and rejected Yesildag’s appeal.
