Germany, Turkey to discuss İncirlik air base rift for two more weeks: Report
AFP photo
The German government will hold discussions with the
Turkish government for another two weeks over the resolution of the latest
refusal of a German delegation's visit to
the İncirlik air base in the southern province of Adana, Der Spiegel reported
on May 27.
On May 15, Turkey rejected a group of German lawmakers' request to
visit the base on the grounds that Berlin granted asylum to former Turkish
officers who allegedly took part in the July 2016 failed coup attempt. The move
immediately prompted Germany to discuss whether to remove its troops stationed at
the base unless the crisis is resolved, with German officials naming Jordan
as one of the alternatives.
Quoting
officials from the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the German defense center, the German weekly reported that two more weeks of
talks would be held with Ankara and then a decision
will be made whether to withdraw the German troops at the base.
However, internally neither the two ministries
nor the Chancellery hope that the discussions will come to a solution, it said.
Earlier, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Ankara would certainly allow
the German lawmakers' visit to the
base on condition that the list of visitors sent by the German foreign minister is
seen suitable, as it was in the past. However, he also noted that sometimes
there are lawmakers who “openly supported terrorists.”
“Sometimes there may be those who openly support terrorists
among German lawmakers
... We expressed that some who openly support terrorists and almost act
together with them will not be welcomed. Right now, our foreign ministers will
discuss the issue with each other and we will take a step accordingly,” Erdoğan
said on May 26 while returning to Turkey after meeting with top EU officials
and leaders in Brussels.