The two-member Greek military patrol, which was apprehended by Turkish border security forces near the Kastanies area ta the Evros River, will stand trial on charges of illegal entry into a restricted military zone and espionage, according to Turkish media reports. Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah and other news outlets in Turkey are reproducing the incident that occurred on Thursday, March 1.
The Greek troops were patrolling the area around the Evros river that separates the two countries, the Hellenic Army General Staff stated. The soldiers lost their way due to poor weather conditions, the report stated.
However, it is unclear how the Hellenic Army General Staff managed to pinpoint the soldiers’ exact location at the moment of their arrest, thus raising questions of whether they were in fact in Turkish territory.
Furthermore, it is striking that the Turks transferred the two Greek soldiers to Adrianople and led them to trial, instead of keeping them cole to Kastanies, which is the normal practice in similar instances that have happened in the past when Greek or Turkish soldiers lose their orientation and inadvertently cross the borders.