Türkiye calls Greek terror convict release 'unacceptable'

ANKARA

FILE- Convicted leader of the armed group November 17, Alexandros Giotopoulos speaks to reporters, at a special court in a top-security Athens jail, on Dec. 2, 2005. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

Türkiye has strongly condemned Greece’s release of Alexandros Giotopoulos, the convicted leader of the Marxist-Leninist November 17 terrorist organization, calling the decision “unacceptable.”

Giotopoulos was released from a prison in Athens on May 21 after a judicial panel approved his conditional release on the grounds of age, health and good behavior.

A prosecutor at Greece’s Supreme Court is reviewing the ruling and could challenge it, according to reports.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Giotopoulos had been sentenced to 17 life terms and an additional 25 years in prison for orchestrating attacks targeting Turkish diplomats in Greece.

The ministry said he was behind the 1991 killing of Çetin Görgü, press attaché at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, the attempted assassination the same year of embassy counselor Deniz Bölükbaşı, and the 1994 killing of counselor Haluk Sipahioğlu.

“The tolerance shown to this terrorist, who incited murders and attacks targeting our diplomats who represented our country honorably abroad, constitutes a great disrespect to the memory of our martyred diplomats and their families and is unacceptable,” the ministry said.

Ankara called on Greek authorities to avoid steps that could weaken the fight against terrorism and to fulfill their responsibilities regarding the punishment of convicted terrorists.

November 17 carried out bombings, assassinations and robberies for more than two decades before being dismantled in the early 2000s.

The group targeted Greek and foreign officials, including diplomats and military personnel.