Police in Greece on Wednesday said they had arrested a Turkish man for illegal entry, near the border area where Turkey captured two Greek soldiers in March.

The man, who says he is a civilian, was arrested in the Evros River border area whilst operating a digger.

He was arrested for illegally entering the country, local police said.

In March, two Greek soldiers were caught after crossing the border, claiming to have lost their way in the fog.

They were charged with espionage and have been held in pre-trial detention in Turkey ever since, sparking a diplomatic row between Athens and Ankara.

Turkey has sought to link the incident with the case of eight Turkish soldiers who sought asylum in Greece following the failed 2016 army coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Athens has demanded the Greek soldiers' release, but Erdogan over the weekend said his government would consider the case if Athens extradited the Turkish soldiers, whom Ankara has branded terrorists.

But Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Sunday rejected the suggestion of a swap deal.

Greece's Supreme Court has ruled that the eight men will not be extradited, despite Turkish demands for them to face charges at home. The men deny involvement in the coup attempt.

Earlier this week, Turkish hackers hijacked the website of state news agency ANA and the Greek portal of Japanese automakers Suzuki to post messages accusing Greece of harbouring terrorists.

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