Several Turkish diplomats have submitted a request for asylum in Switzerland.
A Swiss flag is pictured on the Mont-Blanc bridge over Lake Leman in Geneva, March 21, 2014 (Photo: Reuters / Denis Balibouse)
Several holders of Turkish diplomatic passports have submitted a request for asylum in Switzerland, the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper reported.
The exact number of persons with diplomatic passports, who applied for asylum, has not been specified. The authorities of the both countries have been refraining from commenting so far.
Reportedly, former charge d’affaires of Turkey in Switzerland, Volkan Karagoz, is among the applicants. According to the newspaper, Karagoz is accused of supporting of Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, who, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was involved in the July coup attempt in the country.
On the night of July 16, 2016, a group of military rebels attempted to stage a military coup in Turkey. The main standoff took place in Ankara and Istanbul. More than 240 Turkish citizens were killed, while over 2,000 others were wounded. The coup was suppressed. Earlier, it was reported that after the coup attempt, several hundreds of Turkish military and diplomats appealed to Germany with a request to grant them asylum.