German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet Wednesday approved a plan
for the withdrawal of Bundeswehr troops from the Incirlik airbase in
southeastern 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 Daesh terrorist group, but
Turkey has imposed a ban on German lawmakers visiting the base.
The relocation of troops is likely to take place later this month,
but German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has yet to make
arrangements for how their absence will be handled in the context of the
US-led military coalition against Daesh.
Moving the 260 German soldiers and military equipment including
Tornado reconnaissance jets from Incirlik to an airbase in Jordan will
take approximately two months.
