Eight Aboard Military Helicopter Seek Asylum in Greece

6:20 AM ET
Jul 16, 2016
Sat Jul 16 2016 09:20:46 GMT+0300 (GTB Daylight Time)
Niki Kitsantonis
ATHENS

The New York Times

Greece has arrested eight people aboard a Turkish military helicopter that landed in Alexandroupolis shortly before noon, the country’s Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection said.

The eight individuals have requested political asylum, the ministry said in a text message to reporters, and the helicopter has been placed under guard.



The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, demanded on Twitter their immediate extradition.

The Greek government said it would consider the asylum requests in line with international laws.

“But in examining their requests, it will be taken into account that they participated in an attempt to overthrow the democratic regime and the constitutional order in the neighboring country,” a government spokeswoman, Olga Gerovasili, said.

She added that Greece had communicated with Turkey to arrange for the swift return of the helicopter.

Before entering Greek airspace, the helicopter issued a distress signal and was escorted by two Greek fighter jets before it was given permission to land, Greek television reported.