One of the eight Turkish officers who fled to Greece in a military helicopter on the night of the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, has been set free on the order of the Council of State -Greece’s supreme judicial court on administrative cases. Suleyman Ozkaynakci was the co-pilot of the helicopter that landed in the northern Greek city of Alexandroupolis.

The 8 military personnel escaped to Greece and requested political asylum fearing they would be persecuted by the authorities as accomplices in the overthrow of the Turkish government. According to the ruling by the CoS, the Turkish officer will be set free under strict conditions, while sources say he has already been released and is being guarded by police and SWAT team members.

The CoS Plenary session presided over by Nikos Sakelariou and Diomidis Kyrillopoulos as the rapporteur judged the Greek government should allow the Turkish officer to be freed provided: a) he is not issued with travel documents; b) he has a specified non-disclosed residency, and; c) be compelled to make a show at his local police precinct every day. The ruling states that these conditions will apply until a final verdict is reached at the Plenar6y Session of the CoS in May.

The other 7 Turkish officers remain in custody at the Olympic village Police precinct, as they have yet to be granted asylum by the competent body.