The Russian assistance to Turkey during the attempted coup

Reports that emerged last week, on the occasion of the third anniversary of a failed coup in Turkey, suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin had called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the night of July 15, 1016, to offer him the support of Russian special forces, were not absolutely accurate, Kathimerini understands. 

Last week, the European Council on Foreign Relations published an article citing senior Turkish sources as saying that "Putin called Erdogan that night to offer him the support of Russian special forces units deployed on a nearby Greek island." 

As Greece and Russia have no bilateral agreement for the joint training of their special forces, that report was received with significant skepticism by sources in Athens as it could not be a reflection of the truth. 

As it transpires, the report contained some truth though the purported...