ISTANBUL (Public Radio of Armenia) — Turkey has prohibited several German members of parliament from visiting German soldiers stationed at Turkey’s Incirlik air base, people familiar with the matter told DPA on Monday, May 15.
As a result, the German federal government is considering removing its soldiers from the base, according to information given to members of the Bundestag defense committee by the Defense Ministry.
Last year a delegation of lawmakers, including members of a parliamentary defense committee, were initially denied access to Incirlik, but were later allowed to carry out the trip.
Germany has about 260 soldiers stationed at Incirlik as part of the anti-Islamic State military coalition.
The dispute first arose after the German parliament voted to recognize the mass killing of the Armenians at the hands of the Ottomans as a genocide.
The sources said the latest decision from Turkish authorities had been taken in part as a response to Germany’s decision to grant political asylum to members of the Turkish army.
