Turkey dismayed by Greek court's 'offensive' decision on officer

Ankara expressed intense dismay on Thursday at Wednesday's irrevocable decision by the Council of State to grant asylum to one of the eight Turkish servicemen who sought refuge in the country after the 2016 failed coup in Turkey.

"With this decision, Greece has been registered as a country that protects coup plotters in the eyes of the international community," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We strongly condemn this decision that deeply offends the conscience of the Turkish nation," it said.

The Council of State rejected an attempt by the Greek government to block an earlier decision by an asylum committee to grant asylum status to Suleyman Ozkaynakci.

Athens is concerned that the decision, taken in the runup to Turkish elections, could lead to further acrimony.

The ruling is also expected to influence the applications of the other seven...