Greek police have arrested Turkish-Armenian author and linguist Sevan Nişanyan, who sought asylum in Greece four years ago, his wife announced on Twitter, saying the intellectual was facing deportation.

Nişanyan, whose residence permit was not renewed by Greece and subsequently declared “persona non grata" by Athens last month, was taken into Greek police custody on Thursday and will face a judge on Monday, Ira Tzourou said on Saturday.

Sixty-six-year-old Nisanyan has been living in Greece for the past four years after fleeing a Turkish prison, where he was serving a prison sentence on charges of violating  zoning laws, among other charges.

A Turkish court in 2014 sentenced Nisanyan to 17 years in prison on nine separate counts, including 13 months for insulting the Prophet Mohammed and more than eight years for violating zoning laws. Three years later, the author and linguist announced on Twitter that he had escaped to neighbouring Greece.

A Greek court on Monday will decide where Nişanyan will be deported, his wife said.

Nişanyan is recognised for his etymological Turkish dictionary and travel guides. The linguist become a controversial figure in Turkey after publishing a book entitled "The Wrong Republic,” which questioned taboos about the Turkish Republic and its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.