NATO chief offers to help resolve Turkey-Germany dispute

NATO’s Secretary-General has offered to mediate for a visit by German MPs to troops in Turkey’s Konya airbase in an attempt to help resolve the dispute between the two member states. Jens Stoltenberg made the offer on Monday as Ankara sought to ease the economic repercussions of its dispute with Berlin by dropping a demand that Germany help investigate hundreds of German companies that Turkey says may have links to terrorism.

#Turkey-GermanyDispute

“The Secretary-General has now offered to arrange a visit for parliamentarians to Konya airfield within a NATO framework,” alliance spokesman Piers Cazalet said on Monday. “Konya airfield is vital for NATO operations in support of Turkey and the Counter-ISIS Coalition.”

Germany is increasingly worried by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s crackdown on opposition since last year’s coup attempt. Berlin’s fears increased this month with the arrest of six opposition activists, one of whom is a German citizen.

Read: NATO concerned about Germany-Turkey row

Tension has mounted with Turkey after Ankara refused to allow Bundestag lawmakers visit German soldiers stationed in Turkey, prompting Germany to transfer the troops from Incirlik Airbase to Jordan.

Germany is Turkey’s biggest export market and is home to three million Turks, and the dispute does not serve Ankara’s economic interests. The rapid deterioration of relations threatens to damage deep humanitarian and economic ties between the two countries. Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has accused Erdogan of putting the centuries-old partnership between Germany and Turkey at risk.