Baku, Azerbaijan, June 5
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Turkey did not allow a group of German MPs to visit the Incirlik air base, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at a joint press conference with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel in Ankara.
Cavusoglu noted that German MPs can currently visit only the Konya air force base in Turkey.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel today arrived in Ankara to mull the presence of the German Air Force at the Incirlik base in Turkey.
Earlier, Turkey blocked a group of German lawmakers from visiting the servicemen at the Incirlik Air Base prompting German Chancellor Angela Merkel to suggest that Berlin may consider moving 250 troops stationed at the air base to one of the neighboring countries.
In turn, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a possible withdrawal of the German Air Force contingent from the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey poses no problem for Ankara.
Turkey remains a key country – member of NATO in the Middle East. The Incirlik Air Base is one of the main bases of the US and NATO in the region.
Planes of the US-led coalition members, which participate in air operations against the so-called Islamic State (IS aka ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group, are stationed at this air base.