Greek court deports three Turkish officers for being involved in military coup

A Greek court has ruled that three Turkish military officers should be extradited for their alleged role in a failed coup in Turkey in July, a judicial source has told AFP.

The court said that the three - out of eight officers seeking asylum in Greece - should be sent back for "attempting to topple the regime," the source said on Tuesday.

The officers have appealed the ruling at the country's top court, one their lawyers told Reuters.

The court rejected the extradition of three different officers on Monday, which outraged Ankara.

"Greece is in the NATO alliance with Turkey and is a NATO ally," said defence minister Fikri Isik, adding that Turkey expected the Greek government make every effort to return the officers.

In Monday's ruling, the court  determined that the three men’s personal safety was in jeopardy if they returned to Turkey.

The court added that there was not enough evidence provided to prove their involvement in the coup, against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which took place on 15 July.

The court is expected to decide the fate of the remaining two officers on Thursday.

All the officers' lawyers say that they will not receive a fair trial in Turkey, where authorities have detained thousands of people for their alleged involvement in the coup, including top generals.

The two Turkish commanders, four captains and two sergeants, requested asylum in Greece after landing a military helicopter in the northern city of Alexandroupoli, shortly after the attempted coup against Erdogan.