German visits to Incirlik base still impossible: Turkish FM
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E-mail Xinhua, June 5, 2017
ANKARA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that German lawmakers' visit to NATO air base in central province Konya is possible now, but such visit to Incirlik air base is still impossible in near future.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel in Ankara, Cavusoglu reiterated that Turkey would maintain the ban on German lawmakers' visit to Incirlik.
"A visit to NATO air base in Konya province is currently possible," he added.
In response, the German Foreign Minister noted that Turkish-German relations are going through a "difficult phase," but there is no clear decision on moving German troops from Incirlik airbase.
The Turkey-Germany dispute on Incirlik air base has last more than three weeks. Turkish government on May 15 refused German lawmakers' visit to Incirlik air base, stating that the visit was "considered inappropriate for the time being."
As a response, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on May 20 in Jordan that Germany was considering choose a Jordanian airbase as a possible alternative to replace Turkey's Incirlik.
The Incirlik air base, located in Adana Province of south Turkey, is used by the U.S.-led coalition launching airstrikes in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State group that outlawed in many countries.
Some 250 German troops now station at Incirlik as part of the fight against Islamic State in neighboring Syria. Enditem
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