Germany: If Turkey Doesn’t Change its Mind, We Will Withdraw Our Soldiers

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Making critical remarks once again on deputies from Germany being denied entry to İncirlik Military Base, Germany's Minister of Interior, Sigmar Gabriel said that Turkey trying to use İncirlik issue as a political tool would backlash.

Gabriel making a statement on the issue for the German newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung said "If the German Parliament is to be blackmailed, then the limit of tolerance has been reached" and added:

"I can only hope that the Turkish government will change its mind in the coming days. Otherwise, the German Bundestag will certainly not leave soldiers in Turkey".

"Limit of tolerance reached"

Noting that if a reasonable cooperation in İncirlik was no longer possible - which also includes that deputies can visit soldiers at the base - then they would have to "consider alternatives".Gabriel said that they did everything in the last months in order to not close the doors to Turkey though being insulted and added:

"But if citizens of Germany are to be arrested without reasonable explanation and be prevented from getting help from the consulate, if they are to be denied permission to leave Turkey and the German Parliament is to be put under pressure, then the limits of tolerance have been reached.

"I can only hpe that the Turkish government will change its mind in the coming days. Otherwise, the German Bundestag will certainly not leave soldiers in Turkey", Gabriel said. (YY/DG)

Source: Doğan News Agency, Deutsche Well