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The Grand Turk
PM Tsipras demands release of Greek soldiers held in Turkey
2018-04-08
[Al Jazeera] Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has demanded the release of two Greek soldiers placed in durance vile
Into the paddy wagon wit' yez!
 in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
, arguing that they should not be "pawns to blackmail".

"Human life and human freedom are not, and should not be, pawns to power games and blackmail," Tsipras said in a statement to Documento newspaper published on Saturday.

"In the past, we returned Ottoman Turkish soldiers who crossed a few metres into Greece while on patrol. I expect the Ottoman Turkish president to do the same," he said.

The two Greek soldiers are being held in pre-trial detention in Turkey, which accuses the duo of illegally crossing the border on March 2. The soldiers said they lost their way in the fog.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported last month that "military sketches" were found on a USB stick carried by the soldiers, adding that the soldiers are accused of "espionage".

In addition to the USB, two phones were found on Lieutenant Aggelos Mitretodis and Sergent Dimitrios Kouklatzis, along with a crypto-phone.

Athens contends that Ottoman Turkish authorities have not given adequate details of the charges and on what evidence they are based.

Posted by:Fred

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