Turkey condemns Greek decision to grant furlough to terrorist

Turkey on Friday condemned Greece's decision to grant another release on furlough to far-left terrorist Dimitris Kufodinas.

Kufodinas is a convicted member of the November 17 terrorist organization. He is serving multiple life sentences in Greece for murder.

He was behind the assassinations of Turkish Press Attache Çetin Görgü in 1991 and Ömer Haluk Sipahioğlu, a counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, in 1994.

Another counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, Deniz Bölükbaşı, administrative attache Nilgün Keçeci and driver Adil Yıldırım were also wounded in separate attacks carried out by the same group.

"We reiterate that the release of a convicted terrorist who claimed the lives of Turkish diplomats is disrespectful to their memories and their bereaved families," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"This also constitutes an unacceptable act incompatible with the idea of justice and the fight against terrorism," it added.

Kufodinas was granted a four-day release on furlough on Friday by the Greek authorities, which totals six days adding two days for safe conduct. This is the sixth furlough granted to Kufodinas in one year.

November 17 was active in Greece between 1975 and 2002. It is considered responsible for the assassination of 23 people in 103 separate attacks, which particularly targeted U.S., British, Turkish and Greek nationals.