The Turkish military flew to Greece on a helicopter and requested political asylum hours after the putsch occurred. Turkey requested their extradition accusing the military personnel of the involvement in the coup. The servicemen attorneys, in turn, claimed their clients had nothing to do with the coup attempt and had intended to carry the wounded away from Istanbul, but had been forced to fly in the direction of Greece, as the helicopter had been attacked by the government forces.
The issue of granting the Turkish servicemen political asylum has not been settled yet, thus the individuals remain in the custody in Greece.
The coup attempt of July 16, 2016, led to more than 240 Turkish citizens being killed and more than 2,000 others injured. Turkish authorities suppressed the riot and accused Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the coup. The cleric, currently leaving in exile in the United States, denounced the allegations.
