Greece blocks extradition of Turkish troops accused of coup plot

Greece's Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the extradition of eight Turkish military officers sought by Ankara over July's failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a justice source said.

In addition, the court ordered that the officers - two commanders, four captains and two sergeants - be released from police custody.

Turkey's foreign ministry accused Greece of protecting plotters and failing in the fight against terrorism.

It said in a statement that the ruling was against international law, appears to have been politically motivated, and breaches the rights of the victims of the July 15 coup attempt.

Turkish authorities immediately issued arrest warrants for the eight soldiers, although it is unclear if Greece will respond to the new accusations.

"We will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of this decision - which we believe has been taken with a political motive - on our bilateral ties, co-operation in the fight against terrorism and on other bilateral and regional issues," the ministry said. 

The judges' ruling conforms with the arguments of prosecutors who last week said the officers would not receive a fair trial in Turkey.

The eight had landed a helicopter in the northern Greek city of Alexandroupolis in July, a day after the botched coup against Erdogan.

Turkey has branded them "terrorists" and the case is awkward for Athens, which is working with NATO ally Ankara to stem the flow of migrants through its territory towards western Europe.

The officers deny having taken part in the putsch and claim their lives are in danger.

They say that members of their families have been sacked from their jobs and had their passports confiscated.

Since the coup, many Turkish military officers have requested asylum in other NATO countries.

Turkish authorities have arrested thousands of people since July with many thousands more having been sacked -- in particular journalists, teachers and police officers, over alleged links with the movement of Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim preacher accused by Ankara of orchestrating the coup.

The eight officers have requested asylum in Greece. Their applications were rejected in July but appeals are currently being processed.