Alwaght- German officials say Berlin will have to pull its forces out of the Incirlik air force base in Turkey to Jordan after Ankara denied German lawmakers a visit to the military airport.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told on Monday “We have to respect that Turkey for domestic political reasons cannot approve visits. But then you know the opinion of the German parliament which will now in the very near future make reference to that part of the mandate which says that, if visits aren’t possible, the German government will have to look for another location.”
The European country's Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen also said Monday “We are prepared for a transfer,” adding that Germany has “found a similar alternative with the Al-Azrak airport in Jordan.”
Germany’s defense chief added that the cabinet will “discuss and decide” on the move on Wednesday.
“Incirlik is a good airbase for the fight against ISIS... but we can’t accept not being able to visit our soldiers,” she said.
Germany has currently over 250 military personnel stationed at Incirlik, following the 2015 deployment of several Tornado surveillance jets and a refueling plane at the base as part of the US-led campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Tensions between the two Nato-member countries have been simmering for months over a number of issues but have reached boiling point following Berlin’s decision last month to grant asylum to a number of Turkish Army officers who fled the country after the failed coup attempt last July.
Germany has received over 400 asylum requests in less than a year from Turkish citizens fearing persecution. Last month, Germany granted political asylum to a number of Turkish officers and their families who sought refuge following the attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In Turkey, these individuals are being accused of conspiracy to overthrow the Turkish government and are suspected to have links with the US-based opposition leader Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan has accused the prominent cleric and his group of masterminding the failed coup in Turkey on July 15, 2016. The 74-year-old Gulen, once an Erdogan ally, is currently living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania and has denied any involvement in the failed coup plot.
