Tsipras says Greece does not welcome coupists, but respects judicial rulings

Greece does not welcome coupists but the case of eight soldiers who fled to the country after a failed 2016 coup attempt against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is a matter of the judiciary, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday.

"Greece must respect the judiciary's decisions," Tsipras said after meeting Erdogan in Ankara.

"Coup plotters are not welcome in Greece, however what is more important is to strengthen our cooperation on the sector of security."

Tsipras also said that Greece and Turkey have agreed to de-escalate any tensions in the Aegean Sea and proceed with confidence building measures, while any differences with Turkey "can and must be solved with dialogue".

Earlier in the press conference, Erdogan said he expected more cooperation from Greece in the repatriation of the eight soldiers.

On Tuesday morning, Turkey updated a list of former military officers wanted for their alleged role in the coup attempt to include the eight officers, with a bounty of 4 million Turkish lira ($770,446) each.