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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Former Turkish MP Seeks Asylum in Greece

A former Turkish MP has sought asylum in Greece after being convicted of insulting Erdogan. (AFP)

A former Turkish lawmaker is seeking asylum in Greece following a conviction of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The pro-Kurdish former lawmaker had requested asylum after illegally crossing the border into Greece, Greek authorities said Friday.

A police official said Turkish citizen Leyla Birlik, 44, surrendered to Greek police Wednesday near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, and was in the process of requesting asylum in Greece.

She was released pending the asylum process.

Birlik, a former People's Democratic Party, or HDP, lawmaker was sentenced in January to 21 months' imprisonment for insulting Erdogan. She was freed pending appeal but banned from leaving Turkey.

Birlik had also been arrested in 2016 along with the HDP co-leaders on separate terror-related charges. She was released pending trial but was banned from leaving the country.

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