Turkey detains 2 Greek soldiers who ventured across border

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A Turkish court remanded in custody on Friday two Greek soldiers who were detained after crossing the border into Turkey in bad weather in a heavily forested frontier region, despite Greek calls for their swift return, Reuters reports.

Athens said the soldiers had been on a border patrol when they strayed from their route because of the poor weather. The soldiers were detained on grounds of attempted military espionage and entering a prohibited military zone, Anadolu said.

The court also ruled that data on their phones be investigated.

The incident took place during a normal patrol in the forest area of Kastanies at Evros. Greece’s army command said earlier that Greek authorities were in contact with their Turkish counterparts and that procedures for the soldiers’ return were ongoing.