Berlin could move its soldiers to another country from Turkey such as Jordan if Ankara does not grant permission to members of the German parliament’s defense committee to visit staff currently serving at a NATO mission İncirlik Air Base, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.
Merkel said on May 15 that it was essential for lawmakers to be able to visit the more than 250 soldiers serving at İncirlik, where they are involved in a NATO mission targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria.
“We will continue to talk with Turkey, but in parallel we will have to explore other ways of fulfilling our mandate,” Merkel said.
“That means looking at alternatives to İncirlik, and one alternative among others is Jordan,” she said.
Members of the German parliament’s defense committee have been blocked from visiting troops stationed at the base, officials said May 15.
The lawmakers were denied a visit to the base as it was not deemed appropriate at this time, sources in Turkey’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters, without elaborating.
A spokesman for the German foreign minister said it was “completely unacceptable” for Turkey to keep German lawmakers from visiting their own soldiers.
“A visit by lawmakers must be made possible,” Martin Schaefer said, adding that Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel would raise the issue with colleagues from other NATO governments in Washington on May 16.
German government spokesman Stefan Seibert said Berlin would consider alternative places to station the soldiers.
[hurriyetdailynews.com]
15/5/17
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Related:
Merkel said on May 15 that it was essential for lawmakers to be able to visit the more than 250 soldiers serving at İncirlik, where they are involved in a NATO mission targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria.
“We will continue to talk with Turkey, but in parallel we will have to explore other ways of fulfilling our mandate,” Merkel said.
“That means looking at alternatives to İncirlik, and one alternative among others is Jordan,” she said.
Members of the German parliament’s defense committee have been blocked from visiting troops stationed at the base, officials said May 15.
The lawmakers were denied a visit to the base as it was not deemed appropriate at this time, sources in Turkey’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters, without elaborating.
A spokesman for the German foreign minister said it was “completely unacceptable” for Turkey to keep German lawmakers from visiting their own soldiers.
“A visit by lawmakers must be made possible,” Martin Schaefer said, adding that Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel would raise the issue with colleagues from other NATO governments in Washington on May 16.
German government spokesman Stefan Seibert said Berlin would consider alternative places to station the soldiers.
[hurriyetdailynews.com]
15/5/17
-
Related:
- Parlamentarios alemanes piden la retirada de las tropas destinadas a una base aérea turca
- Turkey's NATO membership : Incirlik is not a NATO base, says Turkey defense chief
- Syria invasion: Turkey makes veiled threat over İncirlik Air Base
- Denmark to pull fighter jets out of İncirlik base in Turkey
- German MPs say troops must return if Turkey refuses Incirlik visit
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