Turkey has barred a German delegation from visiting an air base used to fight extremists in Syria, amid a bitter diplomatic spat between Berlin and Ankara, officials said Wednesday.
Germany’s parliament early this month infuriated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by declaring the Ottomans’ First World War-era massacre of Armenians a genocide, sparking threats of retaliation by the NATO partner country.
Ankara has now cancelled a previously-scheduled July visit by Germany’s state secretary for defense Ralf Brauksiepe and other lawmakers to Incirlik air base, a German defense ministry spokesman said.
“The Turkish authorities at the moment are not approving the travel plans,” said the spokesman.
“There is no written statement on the reason,” he said, adding that the delegation still hoped to make the trip.