(MENAFN) Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras argued in his newly released memoir, Ithaki, that the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye, carried out by the FETO terrorist organization, obstructed the development of Greek-Turkish relations.

The memoir, which details his tenure in office from 2015 to 2019, dedicates a chapter to Greece’s diplomatic affairs.

Tsipras asserted that relations with Türkiye were largely positive prior to the coup attempt. He highlighted his frequent visits, noting that he traveled to Türkiye three times in the seven months leading up to the event.

He reflected: “In my opinion, if the coup didn’t intervene, the 4th High-Level Cooperation Council (YDIK) meeting held in Izmir in March 2016 could have been an important turning point in Turkish-Greek relations.”

Recounting the moment he learned of the coup while on vacation, Tsipras stressed: “I was one of the first world leaders to call Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and convey my support against the coup.”

Addressing the incident in which eight FETO members hijacked a Turkish military helicopter and landed in Greece’s northern port city of Alexandroupolis on July 16, 2016, Tsipras explained that Greece was bound by international law to offer asylum to the fleeing FETO members.

During a subsequent phone conversation with Erdogan, in which the Turkish leader requested their extradition, Tsipras remarked: “I told him coup plotters are not welcome in Greece, but the Greek judiciary will make the final decision on their case.”

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