The cabinet of German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday approved the withdrawal of 260 German soldiers from the Incirlik airbase in south-eastern Turkey over a diplomatic row between the two countries, government sources told dpa.
German troops are stationed at Incirlik, located near the border with Syria, as part of the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group, but Turkey has imposed a ban on German lawmakers visiting the base.
The sourve said that the relocation of the troops is likely to take place later in June.
German Defence Minister Ursula Leyen has yet to make arrangements for how their absence will be handled in the context of the US-led military coalition against Islamic State.
The source added that moving the 260 German soldiers and military equipment including Tornado reconnaissance jets to an airbase in Jordan will take approximately two months.
NAN reports that in March relations between Ankara and Berlin deteriorated sharply in the run-up to an April 16 referendum in Turkey, which saw President Tayyip Erdogan’s powers dramatically increase.
Citing public safety concerns, Germany banned Turkish politicians from addressing rallies of expatriate Turks, prompting Erdogan to accuse Berlin of “Nazi-like” tactics.
Germany and other Western allies have voiced concern about what they fear is a drift towards authoritarian rule in Turkey.
More recently, Berlin angered Ankara by granting asylum to some Turkish holders of diplomatic passports.
According to reports in German media, more than 400 Turkish military personnel, diplomats, judges and other officials, along with their relatives, had sought political asylum in Germany.
Turkish authorities have detained tens of thousands of officials on suspicion of involvement.
The vast crackdown heightened tensions between Turkey and Germany, which is home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish population, the legacy of a massive “guest worker” program in the 1960s and 1970s. (dpa/NAN)
