Turkey condemns granting of furlough to Greek terrorist

By Sibel Ugurlu

ANKARA

Turkey on Friday condemned the Greek authorities over granting of another release on furlough to far-left terrorist Dimitris Kufodinas.

Kufodinas is a convicted member of the November 17 terrorist organization and he is serving multiple life sentences in Greece for murder.

He was the perpetrator in the assassinations of Turkish Press Attache Cetin Gorgu in 1991, as well as of Omer Haluk Sipahioglu, a counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, who was gunned down in front of his home in 1994.

The counsellor of Turkish Embassy in Athens, Deniz Bolukbasi, the administrative attache Nilgun Kececi and the driver Adil Yildirim were also wounded in separate attacks carried out by the same group.

"We reiterate that the release of a convicted terrorist who claimed the lives of Turkish diplomats is disrespectful to their memories and their bereaved families," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"This also constitutes an unacceptable act incompatible with the idea of justice and fight against terrorism," it added.

Kufodinas was granted a four-day release on furlough on Friday by Greek authorities, which totals six days adding two days for safe conduct.

This is the sixth furlough granted for Kufodinas in a year.

November 17 was active in Greece between 1975 and 2002. It is considered responsible for the assassination of 23 people in 103 attacks, which particularly targeted U.S., British, Turkish, and Greek nationals.