UPDATE 2 - Turkey issues 2nd extradition request for 8 ex-soldiers

UPDATES WITH NEW INTRO ON FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS, NEW DATELINE, CHANGES STATUS OF SOLDIERS TO FORMER SOLDIERS, EU COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN COMMENT

By Ayse Yildiz and Ferdi Turkten

ANTALYA, Turkey (AA) - Turkey could cancel the migration deal with Greece and the EU following a Greek court’s decision not to extradite eight fugitive former Turkish soldiers, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday.

“We have a bilateral readmission agreement with Greece in line with the immigration deal with the EU,” he told journalists in the southern province of Antalya. “We will take the necessary steps, including cancellation of the bilateral readmission agreement.

“We have no sympathy with countries hosting terrorists, traitors. Greece should be aware of this.”

Cavusoglu branded Thursday’s ruling “unacceptable” and added: “We do not think this is a legal decision. Any constitution you check, any law you look into, there is no way to protect coup plotters, terrorists.”

The minister also referred to the outcome of the Supreme Court case as a “political decision”.

The ex-soldiers -- Ahmet Guzel, Gencay Boyuk, Feridun Coban, Abdullah Yetik, Ugur Ucan, Suleyman Ozkaynakci, Mesut Firatand, Bilal Kurugul -- fled to Greece in a stolen Black Hawk helicopter a few hours after the July 15 coup bid was defeated. The men -- two majors, four captains and two sergeants -- were dismissed from the military after they fled.

A migration deal struck with the EU in late 2015 saw Turkey agree to take back illegal migrants landing on Greece soil in exchange for the EU taking Syrian refugees from Turkey, drastically reducing the number of migrants crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece.

The agreement also promised accelerated EU membership and visa-free travel for Turks in Europe -- aspects that have yet to materialize.

Meanwhile, Mehmet Kasim Gulpinar, chairman of Turkey’s parliamentary EU harmonization committee, warned the decision would damage relations and was an example of Greek “hostility”.

He added: “They are very obviously involved in the failed coup. If the same thing happened in Greece, I'm sure that Turkey would treat it differently.”

- ‘Active role in coup’

Turkey sent second extradition request to Greece on Friday calling for the repatriation of the soldiers, a Justice Ministry official said.

The ex-soldiers have been fighting extradition since they arrived in Greece and claimed asylum on July 16.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, did not explain how a second request would help nullify the Greek court’s decision.

Interpol has also been asked to issue international arrest warrants for the eight, the official said.

Thursday’s ruling was immediately met by protests from the Turkish Foreign Ministry which said the fugitives had “played an active role in the coup attempt targeting the democratic order in Turkey, martyring our 248 citizens and security forces, injuring 2,193 citizens and making an attempt on our president’s life.”

A court in Istanbul later issued arrest warrants in absentia against the soldiers, a judicial official said.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has said four of the soldiers spoke by telephone on the night of the failed coup to two members of the commando squad that tried to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Greek authorities were told of the link, prosecutors said.

The Justice Ministry has also said the eight seized five army helicopters from the Samandira air base in Istanbul on the night of the coup bid, during which helicopters and warplanes opening fire on civilians, parliament, presidential palace, intelligence headquarters, police buildings and vehicles.

One of the helicopters was used in a bid to kill Erdogan in the Aegean resort of Marmaris, the ministry said in a statement, and another to fly to Greece. The three others were found abandoned at Samandira.

Turkey has repeatedly requested the extradition of the eight and has promised fair trials.