Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The chief of NATO says that Turkish NATO officers have sought asylum in allied countries amid a Turkish government crackdown following a failed military coup.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that "some Turkish officers working in the NATO command structure ... have requested asylum in the countries where they are working."
Each country will assess the claims individually, Stoltenberg said in Brussels. He did not identify the countries or the numbers involved, or give reasons for the requests. German media have reported asylum claims in Germany by members of the Turkish military.
Turkey has arrested thousands of members of its military following the July coup attempt, and Stoltenberg noted that Turkey has made "numerous" changes in its NATO personnel.
Stoltenberg is traveling to Istanbul on Sunday.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.