Greek PM tells Erdogan soldiers' asylum requests to be examined "quickly" - official

A Turkish military helicopter lands in the northern Greek city of Alexandroupolis with eight men on board who have requested political asylum after the attempted coup in Turkey, July 16, 2016. Eurokinissi/Panagiota Tsikaki/via REUTERS

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan the asylum requests of Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece on Saturday would be examined "quickly," a Greek government official said. Tsipras, who made the comments in a phone call with Erdogan late on Saturday, said the procedure would be carried out "with absolute respect" to what is stipulated by international law and human rights treaties, the official added. The eight soldiers fled to Greece in a helicopter after a failed military coup against the Turkish government and were arrested after landing in the northern Greek city of Alexandroupolis. (Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)