136 Turkish diplomats seek asylum in Germany since putsch

More than 130 Turkish diplomats, soldiers and their family members have sought refuge in Germany since last July's failed coup, according to German government data.

The figure is a total for the period between August 2016 to January 2017, German media report.

"The government is aware of 136 asylum applications filed by diplomatic passport holders from Turkey. They also include family members," the interior ministry said in a written reply to a query from a lawmaker.

The ministry said however that it did not have data on how many among the applicants are diplomats and how many are soldiers stationed at NATO bases, as it is believed.

It is not clear if any of them have been granted asylum yet.

Turkey has urged Germany not to grant asylum to any military officers.

In Greece, two more Turkish soldiers have requested asylum.

The pair - reported to be commandos - are believed to have taken part in the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

They are in Greek police custody, having applied for asylum last week in Orestiada, a small border town near Turkey.

Last month a Greek court rejected Turkey's request to extradite eight other Turkish soldiers who fled after the coup attempt. Turkey is appealing against that ruling.

The Turkish government has accused US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen of having orchestrated the putsch, and launched a sweeping crackdown against his followers.

Some 43,000 people in Turkey have been arrested over their suspected links to Gulen's movement, and 100,000 public servants fired or suspended. Many of them are teachers, police, magistrates and journalists.