TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Germany began withdrawing military hardware from an airbase in Turkey Sunday after a diplomatic row with Ankara over whether politicians could visit troops stationed there.

According to Der Spiegel, the German armed forces will begin pulling out from the Incirlik base in the south of the country around midday bound for an alternative location in Jordan.

The move comes after Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel failed to strike a deal with Turkish politicians in June to allow access to the base for German lawmakers.

Turkish-German relations have been on a downward spiral over recent years with a Bundestag resolution on the Armenian genocide and the stalled visit of Turkish lawmakers to Germany during the country’s election adding to the tension.

Full story: tasnimnews.com

Tasnim News Agency