The eighteen-month period, which is the highest limit of detention, has past and now the eight Turkish officers that sought asylum in Greece are free.

However, they will remain in strict custody but this time for their own security.

The location is highly classified and it will surely be heavily guarded.

Recently, the Supreme Court, irrevocably ruled that the granting of asylum to one of the eight, the co-pilot of the helicopter, with whom all officers had come to Greece, a few days after the attempted coup in Turkey in June 2016, was constitutional and lawful.

This decision will probably be applied to the remaining seven officers as well.

The Turkish media is broadcasting the news with breaking reports from Athens and hosts statements by the eight officers’ lawyer, Homer Zelios, according to which his clients will remain in a secret location in Attica.

Indeed, media outlets such as Hurriyet describe the decision of the Greek court as a “scandal”, as one-by-one the eight officers fall under the refugee-protection status.