A Plea for the Rule of Law and Good Neighbourliness

According to a number of reports two Greek soldiers inadvertently crossed the unmarked border with Turkey in March 2018. This part of the border runs through dense forest. At the time in question visibility was poor and there was snow on the ground. The soldiers became disoriented and were unaware they had entered Turkey.
They have been held in detention in Turkey ever since, apparently without charge.

The Human Rights Committee has written to H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, The President of Turkey, Abdulhamit Gül, Minister of Justice of Turkey, Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and Michele Nicoletti, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Liliane Maury-Pasquier  (who was elected and follows  up Mr Nicoletti as President) on 25 June 2018.

In application of the principle of good neighbourliness the soldiers should, in the respectful submission of the Committee, be returned home without further ado.

To read the letter from the Human Rights Committee click here (PDF format).