(MENAFN) The failed coup attempt in Türkiye on July 15, 2016, orchestrated by the FETO terrorist organization, obstructed the potential growth of Greek-Turkish relations, former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras asserted in his newly published memoir, Ithaki.

The book, which details his tenure in office from 2015 to 2019, also dedicates a section to Greece’s foreign policy initiatives and international relations.

Tsipras argued that prior to the coup attempt, relations with Türkiye were driven by a constructive agenda.

Highlighting his diplomatic engagement, he recalled that he visited Türkiye three times during the seven months leading up to the coup, stating: “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.”

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

Regarding the incident on July 16, 2016, when eight FETO members hijacked a Turkish military helicopter to Greece’s northern port city of Alexandroupolis, Tsipras explained that Greece was legally obligated under international law to grant asylum to the fugitives.

He recounted his conversation with Erdogan, in which the Turkish president requested the extradition of the coup perpetrators. Tsipras stated: “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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