By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
On October 8, 2026, Türkiye asked Greece to accelerate the extradition of wanted suspects among 60 people held by Greek authorities, while Athens urged Ankara to seek Interpol Red Notices for Turkish criminal suspects operating in Greece. Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis raised the demands during talks in Athens.
Çiftçi also met Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris to discuss irregular migration and cross-border smuggling.
Türkiye seeks faster extraditions
Çiftçi said the 60 people detained in Greece included organized crime suspects wanted under Interpol Red Notices. He requested the extradition of those who meet the legal requirements.
He separately demanded the return of members of the Gülen movement, which Türkiye designates as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and accuses of orchestrating the failed July 2016 coup attempt.
Çiftçi alleged that some Turkish crime bosses detained in Greece continued directing their organizations from prison.
He also criticized delays caused by ongoing Greek court proceedings and applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In some cases, he said, Turkish officers had already travelled to collect suspects when the transfers were suspended.
Extraditions have nevertheless continued. Türkiye's Justice Ministry reported on October 5 that Greece had handed over 19 people during the first nine months of 2026.
Athens seeks Red Notices against Turkish gangs
Chrysochoidis raised the activities of Turkish criminal groups in Greece, including networks he linked to killings.
He asked Ankara to request Interpol Red Notices for suspects already facing national arrest warrants in Türkiye. Such notices could facilitate arrests in Greece and subsequent extradition proceedings under Greek law.
The Greek minister proposed restarting regular police meetings along the land border and strengthening the joint contact center at Kapitan Andreevo. He also called for an early-warning system covering suspicious movements of people, vehicles and cargo.
Athens raised concerns about firearms trafficking, including modified weapons with alleged links to Türkiye, and sought closer intelligence sharing on high-risk criminal networks.
The Greek ministry described existing police cooperation as satisfactory but called for stronger operational coordination. Its statement contained no commitment to extradite members of the Gülen movement.
Greece reports 65% decline in Aegean migration
In separate talks with Plevris, Çiftçi discussed irregular migration and the networks arranging illegal crossings.
The Greek Migration and Asylum Ministry reported a 65% decline in migration flows toward the northern and eastern Aegean islands. Its October 8 statement provided neither the underlying figures nor the comparison period.
The ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation against migrant smugglers. Plevris also called for existing agreements to be fully implemented.
Çiftçi outlined Türkiye's approach, including humanitarian and development programs in countries of origin, tighter visa rules, improved border surveillance, operations against smuggling networks and deportations.
Çiftçi invited Chrysochoidis to the next Türkiye–Greece–Bulgaria trilateral meeting, planned for November 2026 in Türkiye.
Neither government announced a new extradition agreement or a resolution of the pending cases.
Sources: Türkiye's Interior Ministry, Greece's Ministry of Citizen Protection, Greece's Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Türkiye's Justice Ministry, Bosphorus News review and reporting.