This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.
On 1 March 2018, two Greek military personnel, Lt. Angelos
Mitretodis and Sgt. Dimitris Kouklatzis, were arrested by the Turkish
authorities, allegedly having strayed across the border. The two
soldiers have stated that they lost their way in bad weather, while
on routine patrol along the Greek-Turkish land border. Despite calls
from European Union and NATO officials for the soldiers' release
and the Greek Government's efforts to secure their return, the two
have now been held for almost two months, without charges being
brought against them.
Whereas, Article 5.2 of the European Convention on Human Rights
(ECHR) states that "Everyone who is arrested shall be informed promptly,
in a language which he understands, of the reasons for his arrest
and of any charge against him".
Therefore, the undersigned members of the Parliamentary Assembly
call upon the Turkish authorities to swiftly conclude the judicial
process and immediately release the two Greek soldiers. We further
call upon the Turkish authorities to scrupulously follow legal proceedings
and fully respect the human rights and legal guarantees enshrined
in international law, including the ECHR. Furthermore, we call upon
the institutions and member States of the Council of Europe to show
solidarity to Greece in this matter.