Greek-Turkish tension continues to escalate over Athens’ decision granted asylum to one of eight servicemen that Ankara claims took part in the botched coup in 2016.

In response to the final ruling, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused Greece of violating the Geneva Convention and of protecting terrorists.

This announcement was backed by several Turkish officials with Omer Celik, the spokesman for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) taking to Twitter to call out Greece.

“Mr Celik and the Turkish side in general must finally grasp that institutions in Greece operate on the basis of fundamental democratic principles,” Greece’s shadow foreign minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos wrote. “There is no need for Greek-Turkish relations to be poisoned by such unfounded reactions.”

Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesperson for the Turkish Presidency, also labelled the decision “scandalous” and urged the European Union to condemn it.

According to the State Court ruling, Suleyman Ozkaynakci, the helicopter pilot amongst the eight officers fleeing Turkey two years ago could be eligible to receive travel documents.

The court decided that there was no evidence linking the serviceman to the 2016 coup and to the Islamic organization FETO run by self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen currently residing in the US.