Greece's President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said today he rejects suggestions for an exchange of two Greek soldiers imprisoned in Turkey in exchange for Turkish soldiers who Ankara asks for the failed coup in 2016.
Greek President's comments come after the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that his government might consider the possibility of exchanging the soldiers with the Greece.
"The exchange of two Greek soldiers who are detained with eight Turkish soldiers who are in Greece is not even questioned."Pavlopoulos said that eight Turkish soldiers fled to Greece after the failed coup in 2016 in Turkey. The Greek Supreme Court has ruled out that the Turkish soldiers should not be extradited, despite Ankara claims that they must face justice in Turkey. The eight soldiers deny any involvement in the failed coup.
"They (Greece) have asked us to return the Greek soldiers and we have told them that if you make such requests, you must first give to us the FETO soldiers involved in the coup." said Erdogan on Saturday, in an interview for NTV television.
Ankara refers with the FETO acronym to the Turkish Cleric Movement Hizmet, Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of remaining behind the coup attempt.
Gulen's movement in Turkey has been declared a terrorist organization. Gulen, who lives in the United States, denies any involvement in the event.