Turkey to let lawmakers visit German troops at airbase

ANKARA

Turkish foreign minister said Thursday German parliamentarians would be allowed to visit their soldiers at the Incirlik Airbase after Germany fulfilled Turkey’s expectations regarding the so-called “Armenian genocide” resolution approved recently by its parliament.

Previously, Turkey had not allowed German lawmakers to visit its soldiers serving at the NATO airbase in Incirlik in southern Turkish province of Adana after Germany’s parliament approved a non-binding resolution in June, backing Armenian claims of “genocide” during the 1915 events.

In remarks made at a joint news conference with his Saudi Arabia counterpart Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir in Ankara Thursday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said: “[In the past,] we did not give the needed permission to visit Incirlik. The reason was obvious.”

However, now Germany had "fulfilled that condition. With a statement, it[Germany] highlighted why the [German parliament’s] resolution was non-binding,” he said.

The minister said the German statement could serve as an “example” and “guide” for “everyone in the world, especially for parliaments.

“In other words, it said: ‘genocide is a legal term, it is not a generic and political term. That is why a court decision is needed’,” Cavusoglu said, adding that in this way, “Germany met our expectations.”

Earlier on Thursday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Turkey had agreed to allow German MPs to visit soldiers at Incirlik in southern Turkey in October.

Cavusoglu said Turkey would respond positively to everyone who responds positively to Turkey, but warned that anyone who did the opposite would get the “necessary response” from Turkey.

Meanwhile, the Turkish foreign minister thanked his Saudi counterpart for their support and solidarity during and after the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey. He recalled that al-Jubeir had called him and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud also called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan several times since the foiled coup.

“I want to thank once more the Saudi Arabian state and its people for being with us during these difficult times,” Cavusoglu said.

Al-Jubeir reiterated his country’s solidarity with Turkey after the July 15 coup attempt. He said Saudi Arabia supported the “legislative measures” Turkey had taken in the aftermath.

The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, including Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.

Cavusoglu said operations in northern Syria would continue along with Turkey’s support for the Free Syrian Army. He said terrorists must be cleared from Manbij region in northern Syria.

He said Turkey would work together with Saudi Arabia to create the necessary conditions for Syrian refugees to return to their country, if they wished to do so.

He said refugees were already starting to return to their country. “More than 200 Syrians crossed yesterday [Wednesday] to Jarabulus,” he said.

Al-Jubeir added that Turkey’s operation in northern Syria had been very “important for Turkey’s security.”

On Aug. 24, Operation Euphrates Shield was launched, which aims at improving security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the terror threat along Turkey’s border helping Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish armor, artillery and jets.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the regime of Bashar al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests.