Germany is free to withdraw troops from İncirlik air base, Turkey will not beg: FM Çavuşoğlu

Germany is free to withdraw its troops stationed at Turkey's İncirlik air base if it wants to, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on May 18, adding Berlin should change its attitude towards Ankara.

In an interview with private broadcaster NTV, Çavuşoğlu said Ankara was not attempting to blackmail Berlin by preventing German lawmakers access to İncirlik, where some 250 German troops are stationed as part of the coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Turkish officials have told Reuters that such a visit by German lawmakers would not be appropriate at the moment.

Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen on May 17 said the German government had been evaluating possible alternatives to İncirlik for some time and was considering moving the troops to Jordan.

"If they want to leave, that is up to them," Çavuşoğlu said. 

"We are not going to beg. They were the ones who wanted to come and we helped them. If they want to go, we would say 'Goodbye'," he said.

Relations between NATO allies Germany and Turkey have deteriorated sharply after a series of diplomatic rows. 

Most recently, Turkey has expressed anger that Germany is granting asylum to Turks accused of participating in the July 2016 failed coup attempt. 

German officials have said more than 400 Turkish citizens with diplomatic passports and other government work permits have sought asylum in Germany since the attempted takeover.

Çavuşoğlu said that Germany should change its attitude towards Turkey.

"You can't treat Turkey as you wish anymore," he said. "If you want to get closer to Turkey, treat it like a friend, don't act like a boss."