Ursula von

Germany's defense minister has rejected the U.S. call for her country to make more contribution to the military effort in the fight against Islamic State.

Germany is already engaged in a number of military fronts in the fight against extremist groups, including Mali and Afghanistan, said Ursula von der Leyen.

Lawmakers on Dec. 4 approved plans for Germany to take on a direct role in the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria, answering France's appeal for help after the deadly Paris terror attacks.

The world's strongest militaries are queuing up to enter Syria, with Britain the latest to join the already-crowded theater after its parliament voted to join U.S.-led air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen visited Turkey Dec. 3 to conduct talks with her counterpart, ?smet Y?lmaz.

Although no official decision has been taken yet, German and Turkish officials have been working on finalizing a memorandum of understanding on the basis of Germany's proposals, diplomatic sources told the Hürriyet Daily News.

Sevil Erku?sevil.erkus@hurriyet.com.trThe Turkish government has granted France permission to use its airspace in the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), diplomatic sources have told Hürriyet Daily News.

Sevil Erku?sevil.erkus@hurriyet.com.trOnly two days after Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet approved plans for Germany's participation in the military campaign against jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the country's defense minister is set to visit to Turkey for technical talks on Germany's support

Berlin and Paris have notified Ankara of their desire to use Turkish bases to consolidate the battle against jihadists in SyriaGermany and France have applied to the Turkish government to use the country's air bases in to increase the intensity of their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) after deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13. 

Germany is holding talks with Turkey and Jordan over the deployment of German Tornado reconnaissance jets in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Germany's top soldier has said. 

NATO troops may need to stay in Afghanistan for a longer period and any decision should be based on the situation on the ground, Germany?s defence minister said on Oct. 8 in an implicit criticism of U.S. withdrawal plans. 

Turkey appealed to its NATO allies on Oct. 8 to shore up missile defences in the country aimed at shooting down Syrian rockets, as Germany said again that it will withdraw its Patriot batteries and the United States was set to do the same. 

NATO is now waiting for other nations to plug those gaps.