Gov’t adopts wait-and-see stance on Greek soldiers
The Greek government on Tuesday decided to adopt a wait-and-see stance towards the arrest by Turkey last week of two soldiers who accidentally crossed into the Turkish border.
At a meeting headed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, government officials reportedly agreed to that they do not want to see the incident “evolving into a major diplomatic affair,” according to Skai.
“Political and diplomatic pressure will be exerted incrementally,” Skai quoted sources as saying, suggesting that Athens will determine its position on the basis of what decisions are reached by Turkish judicial authorities.
On Monday, a Turkish court rejected a request for the soldiers’ release and ordered them to stay in custody pending trial. Questions also remain over what charges will be leveled against the officers, with some Turkish media suggesting they may stand trial for attempted espionage as well as illegal entry into the country.
