June 20, 2018•Update: June 20, 2018
By Merve Aydogan
ANKARA
Turkey has condemned Greek authorities' decision to grant a two-day furlough to a far-left terrorist who is serving 11 life sentences in Greece for murder.
Dimitris Koufodinas was identified as a leader of the November 17 terror group in a major trial that followed his arrest.
In a written statement released Wednesday, Foreign Ministry said: "We strongly condemn the right granted to Koufodinas to use furlough for the third time, who had previously been granted furlough twice.
"This incident has strengthened our doubts about the functioning of the judicial system in Greece."
The statement recalled that Koufodinas is the perpetrator of assassinations against Turkish Press Attache Cetin Gorgu, who was killed in 1991, as well as Omer Haluk Sipahioglu, a counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, who was gunned down in front of his home in 1994.
It also said the far-left terrorist was sentenced with multiple life sentence over the assassinations as well as due to the attacks carried out against Ambassador Deniz Bolukbasi, wife of the Turkish vice-consul, Nilgun Kececi, and driver Adil Yildirim were also wounded.
"Such tolerance to a bloody terrorist is a disrespect to the memory of our martyr diplomats and their families," added the statement and highlighted that granting a terrorist with such priveldges is "unacceptable".
The statement also called on Greek authorities to refrain from taking steps that would weaken its fight against terrorism and urged them to fulfill its obligations in punishing terrorists.
