Germany, Turkey fail to break deadlock over air base visit

Turkey today refused to budge on its decision to refuse German lawmakers permission to visit troops stationed at a Turkish air base, saying it expected "positive steps" on Turkey's requests for Germany to crackdown on Kurdish rebels and alleged coup plotters.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his visiting German counterpart, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey would allow German legislators to visit a NATO base in the central province of Konya, but not Incirlik Air Base, where some 270 German troops are stationed with Tornado reconnaissance jets and a refueling plane.
The German troops are part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group.

"At the moment, a visit to Konya is possible but not to Incirlik," Cavusoglu said during the news conference with Germany's Sigmar Gabriel.
"There is no reason for problems to exist between Turkey and Germany," the minister said. "If Germany takes positive steps, the Turkish side will take positive steps."
Turkey blocked the visit to Incirlik, angered by German authorities' decision to grant asylum to soldiers and other individuals that Turkey accuses of participating in last year's failed coup. Turkey also accuses Germany of harboring Kurdish militant groups, which it considers to be terrorists.

Germany has said it may relocate troops that are based at Incirlik to Jordan over the impasse.

Gabriel told reporters for his part that visits by parliamentarians were a requirement of the German constitution and parliamentary system, and that would not be possible for Berlin to retain troops in Incirlik under the circumstances.
He said, however, that Germany had no concrete plans yet for the withdrawal of troops. Gabriel added that Berlin welcomed Turkey's decision to allow visits to Konya and that Germany did not want to escalate the tensions.
"Turkey and Germany are going through a troubled period," Gabriel said.
Ties have also been soured by the jailing in Turkey of two German journalists and by German authorities banning planned campaign rallies by Turkish ministers earlier this year.

Cavusoglu reiterated today Turkey's position that Die Welt journalist Deniz Yucel, who holds Turkish and German citizenship, was not detained for any journalistic activity, insisting that he was being prosecuted for allegedly aiding terror groups.