Turkey slams EU over remarks on detained Greek soldiers

By Baris Seckin

ANKARA

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected a statement by European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on the detention of two Greek soldiers in Turkey.

“With these remarks...EU authorities lose their credibility and reliability day by day,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement.

Aksoy's remarks came shortly after Juncker told the Greek parliament during a visit to Athens that Turkey must release the Greek soldiers, which Turkey “received with astonishment”.

“We reject this statement, which is far from being serious and lacks legal basis,” Aksoy said.

“Greek soldiers who violate Turkish law do not have any privileges before the independent judiciary.

“We condemn this two-faced mentality [of the EU], which does not hesitate to make remarks about the state of law when it wants to, and when it comes to its interests, making statements that interfere with the ongoing judicial process.”

A court in northwestern Turkey on Wednesday ordered the continued detention of the Greek soldiers, who “inadvertently” strayed across Turkey’s border last month.

The Edirne 2nd Criminal Court of Peace ruled against a petition by the soldiers’ lawyers to release them from remand.

The Greek soldiers were remanded into custody on March 2 for entering a prohibited military zone in Edirne, which borders Greece.