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| Turkey coup: Turkish military helicopter lands in Greece and crew requests asylum | Turkey coup: Turkish military helicopter lands in Greece and crew requests asylum |
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| A Turkish military helicopter has landed in northern Greece where its crew has requested political asylum. | A Turkish military helicopter has landed in northern Greece where its crew has requested political asylum. |
| Local reports suggest the crew are part of the faction of the Turkish military that attempted to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government in a coup on Friday night. | Local reports suggest the crew are part of the faction of the Turkish military that attempted to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government in a coup on Friday night. |
| Greece’s defence ministry has confirmed seven military personnel and one civilian landed in a Blackhawk military helicopter in Alexandroupoli and requested asylum. | |
| Upon arrival the eight crew members were arrested for illegal entry to the country. | |
| Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, has demanded their return. | |
| Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency quotes the Turkish foreign minister as saying “we have demanded the immediate return of the eight treacherous officers who fled to Greece by helicopter”. | |
| According to the Guardian, the crew removed all badges and insignia from their uniforms making it impossible to know their rank. | |
| A defence expert told the paper it was the first time a Turkish military vehicle had landed in Greece seeking asylum in the country. | |
| Another said it was highly unlikely the men would be granted asylum in Greece. | |
| More than 161 people are dead and more than 1,000 wounded following the violent clashes in Turkey after a coup was launched to overthrow Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. | |
| A total of 1,563 military personnel have been detained across the country after the Turkish government and military forces loyal to the president cracked down on the attempted coup. | |
| On Saturday morning, the government appeared to regain control, with troops surrendering as civilians took to the streets in support of the government. | |