Turkey blocking German MPs' visit to Incirlik following Genocide voteJune 23, 2016 - 10:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey is blocking plans by a senior German delegation to visit the Incirlik air base, German officials have said, according to BBC News. Germany has 250 soldiers and several planes at the base in southern Turkey, from where they carry out operations against so-called Islamic State (IS). But ties between Berlin and Ankara have been strained by a German parliamentary vote to label as genocide the 1915 killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Turkey has not commented on why it has not approved the German plans. The visit had been expected to take place in July. "The Turkish authorities at the moment are not approving the travel plans," a German defence ministry spokesman said. "There is no written statement on the reason." He added that the delegation, headed by deputy defence minister Ralf Brauksiepe and including other members of parliament, still hoped the trip could go ahead. Last week, Germany's defence ministry said it was finalising an agreement with Turkey on building new housing and aircraft facilities for the German troops at Incirlik. The latest sign of troubled relations between the two Nato allies comes three weeks after the German parliament's declaration about genocide. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the vote, recalled his ambassador from Berlin and said he was considering further action in response. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |