ISTANBUL, Nov 20, (APP/AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday warned NATO against sheltering “terrorist” soldiers after Turkish officers in the alliance’s command reportly sought asylum after a failed putsch.
“How can a terrorist, a terrorist soldier, a soldier who has been involved in plotting a coup, be employed in NATO?”
Erdogan told journalists on a plane from Uzbekistan, the Milliyet newspaper reported.
“They cannot do such a thing,” he said.
On Friday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said a number of Turkish officers serving in NATO command positions had requested asylum following the botched coup on July 15.
Neither Stoltenberg nor Erdogan provided a number, although Erdogan said it was not high.
Erdogan said his government demanded that soldiers who asked for asylum be extradited and warned the alliance against providing them with a haven.
“NATO cannot entertain accepting asylum requests of this kind. Those in question are accused of terror,” he said.