A new Greek documentary reveals what happened to eight Turkish soldiers who landed a military helicopter in Alexandroupo...

A new Greek documentary reveals what happened to eight Turkish soldiers who landed a military helicopter in Alexandroupolis on July 16, 2016, hours after Turkey's coup attempt began. The soldiers, six officers and two noncommissioned officers from helicopter crews, say they had been ordered to transport wounded personnel, were initially unaware of the coup, and fled after coming under fire. They feared they would be killed if they stayed. Before touching down in Greece, they discarded classified military materials to prevent Turkish secrets from being exposed. They immediately sought asylum. A ninth soldier considered fleeing with them but chose to stay in Turkey. He was imprisoned and remains behind bars. Turkey accused all eight of involvement in the coup and demanded their extradition. Greece's Supreme Court rejected those requests on January 26, 2017, ruling that the men would not receive a fair trial and could face torture or inhuman treatment if returned. Former defense minister Panos Kammenos said sending them back would have violated Greece's international obligations given Turkey's documented record of political killings, mass imprisonments, and the jailing of journalists. Greek writer Apostolos Doxiadis, who aided the soldiers' legal fight, alleged that then-prime minister Alexis Tsipras had privately promised Erdogan the men would be returned. Government appeals against asylum decisions and further detention orders kept the soldiers in legal limbo for years after the Supreme Court ruling. Greece's Council of State finally upheld asylum for one soldier in May 2018, opening the door for the others. The documentary, produced by journalists Marinos Aleiferis and Giannis Charamidis and released by Proto Thema's Medusa investigative series, includes photographs of the cramped, poorly lit rooms where the men lived in undisclosed locations. They had drawn pictures of their children on the walls. Their wives and children later crossed the Evros River into Greece to reunite with them, including one woman who made the crossing with a newborn and two young children. All eight eventually left Greece and settled in other countries, with some in the process ...