Greek court rejects extradition request for Turkish Kurd made by Ankara

A Greek court on Friday rejected Turkey's request for Turkish Kurd Mehmet Dogan to be extradited, one of nine Turkish nationals of Kurdish descent arrested here in December on terrorism charges, ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit, AMNA news agency reported.

The Greek court ruled against Dogan's extradition, explaining that France had already granted him the status of a political refugee.

The Greek prosecutor who presented arguments against the extradition also said that charges against him in Turkey might be prompted by his race and political beliefs and his life may be put in threat should he be returned to the neighboring country.

Last year, Greece's Supreme Court also rejected Ankara's request to extradite eight Turkish military officers who fled to Greece in July 2016 after the failed coup attempt in Turkey.

Ankara has charged them as coup plotters and the case has caused frictions in bilateral ties.