Turkey has suspended its migrant readmission deal with Greece as a result of the release of eight Turkish servicemen who fled after a failed coup in July 2016, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the press on Thursday.
Under a bilateral agreement, Greece would be able to return all irregular migrants to Turkey. Responding to press questions about whether Turkey is considering sanctions against Greece after the court decision on the eight, Cavusoglu said, “Greece is a country that has suffered the most from coups and the goverrment should have resolved this issue. Greece is under immense pressure, particularly its judiciary, from the West. We have a refugee deal with the EU and we have a readmission agreement with Greece. We have suspended the deal with Greece.”
The eight Turkish officers fled to Greece after a failed coup in July 2017 and were released recently when the 18-month detention deadline expired. All are in the process of getting approved for asylum status and being issued travel documents.
Greek diplomatic sources reaction
Greek diplomatic sources termed Cavusoglu’s comments as “unfortunate”, late on Thursday. In statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), the sources said, “What Cavusoglu has announced is something he has already applied as of 2017. (…) At any rate, the operation of the rule of law cannot serve as an alibi for violations of international rights.”