A Turkish national who yesterday crossed the Greek-Turkish border at Kastanies, Evros, was handed down a five-month suspended sentence and a 1,500 euro fine, for illegally entering the country, by an Orestiada prosecutor and court.

He is to be extradited to Turkey immediately once the bureaucratic procedures are completed. In the interim, he is being held at an Orestiada police precinct.

The area where the man was arrested is exactly where two Greek army officers were arrested on 1 March after crossing the Turkish border.

He was driving a JCB mechanical excavator, owned by the nearby Turkish city of Edirne, when he crossed the border.

He was reportedly engaged in municipal digging or construction work on the Turkish side. The excavator has been seized by Greek authorities.

The man, Mousa Alerik was led before a prosecutor under the emergency judicial procedure by which one is taken directly to a prosecutor if one is arrested within 48 hours of a crime. His lawyer has filed an appeal.

The man said that he mistakenly crossed the border as he did not see the border markings.