Greek Court Rejects Extradition of Turkish Soldiers Accused in Coup Attempt

FILE - Soldiers suspected of being involved in the coup attempt are escorted by policemen as they arrive at a courthouse in the resort town of Marmaris, Turkey, July 17, 2016. Ankara is seeking the extradition of several soldiers who fled to Greece.

A Greek court has ruled against the extradition of three Turkish soldiers accused by Ankara of involvement in a failed coup last summer.

The three soldiers, part of a group of eight who fled to Greece, have denied Turkey's allegations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has engaged in a crackdown on journalists, academics, military and civilian government employees, accusing them of participating in the July coup attempt.

More than 100,000 people have been removed from their jobs since government forces blocked the coup attempt. More than 35,000 others, including military officers and opposition politicians, have been arrested for suspected collusion with the coup plotters.

Erdogan has accused U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen of plotting the coup, and vowed to bring Gulen to justice.

Gulen, a former Erdogan ally in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied involvement in the coup attempt.