Turkey has hit back at a statement by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker who while visiting Athens on Thursday called for the release of two Greek soldiers held in a Turkish jail.
A statement by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry claims that “with these remarks…EU authorities lose their credibility and reliability day by day”.
“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,” the statement by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry reads.
Speaking earlier at the Greek parliament, Juncker said: “The Greek soldiers in Turkey must be freed and the country must respect international law.”
A court in northwestern Turkey on Wednesday rejected a petition by the defense team for the release of the Greek soldiers, who inadvertently strayed across Turkey’s border last month.
The pair was remanded into custody on March 2 for entering a prohibited military zone near Edirne, which borders Greece.
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