Ankara claims he is “a PKK member”, but German MP Neu is actually targeted by the Turkish state for saying, “PKK is not a terrorist organization.”

Following Ankara’s refusal to permit a group of Federal Defense Commission member MPs to visit German troops in the Incirlik airbase after several appeals, the Merkel government decided to withdraw their soldiers from the base.

The Konya crisis that came up after the Incirlik crisis has entered a new phase. The Erdoğan regime not permitting German MPs to visit troops stationed in the NATO base in Konya led to the Merkel government discussing withdrawing these soldiers as well, and now German journal Der Spiegel has a new claim.

Der Spiegel cites Turkish diplomatic sources to claim that the German committee was not permitted to visit German troops in Konya by Ankara because Alexander Neu is seen as having ties to the PKK. Die Linke has since refuted this claim.

Die Linke officials stated the following in regards to Alexander Neu: “Neu has not had close relations with the PKK, not in the past and not today.” The German MP not considering the PKK a “terrorist organization” is said to be why these allegations are surfacing.

Neu had given the following response to a question on the PKK during an interview at Deutschlandfunk radio last August: “Regarding the PKK’s activity in Turkey, one can discuss whether it is terrorism or not. One could also speak of a state terrorism.”

NEU: ANKARA ISSUED A PERMIT FOR INCIRLIK IN 2016

Alexander Neu, the Die Linke spokesperson of the Defense Commission in the Federal Parliament, stated that Turkey’s claims do not reflect the truth. Neu spoke to the Neus Deutschland newspaper and said, “The Foreign Ministry denies allegations that my name was mentioned during the meeting with Ankara.”

The German MP stated that the Turkish intelligence had approved his visit to Incirlik after conducting an inquiry in 2016 and added: “That was how we went to Incirlik last year, my participation did not cause any problems then.”

“DIE LINKE SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE COMMITEE”

Alexander Neu said he doesn’t think Die Linke MPs will be removed from the committee to visit Konya and added: “If the federal government decides to do this, it will mean kneeling to Erdoğan.”

Die Linke Group Deputy Chairperson Hanno Harnisch made a similar comment and said: “Removing Die Linke from the committee would be scandalous, if the permit is to be given, it should be for all MPs.” Harnisch said the Merkel government should not step back on this issue.

Die Linke’s concerns are justified, as Chancellor Merkel’s party did propose a committee without Die Linke. CDU MP Johann Wadephul said a two-person committee made up of Norbert Röttgen from CDU and Wolfgang Hellmich from SPD could visit Konya.

GERMANY MADE THE FIRST CONCESSION WITH CHANGING THE FLAGS

The Merkel government made concessions in the Konya crisis, like they did in the Incirlik crisis. In May, when Germany wanted to visit their troops in Konya, the flags on AWACS aircrafts in Konya were switched to NATO flags on NATO’s offer so Germany could visit without having to procure a permit from Ankara.

The Erdoğan regime had said they could greenlight the German MPs’ visit under those conditions, but the Turkish state did not keep their promise to NATO and cancelled the German MPs’ visit planned for mid-July at the last minute.

There are 10 to 20 soldiers stationed with the AWACS aircrafts in Konya, while the aircrafts themselves are registered to the NATO base in Geilenkirchen, Germany. There are claims that NATO’s mission to protect the region will be under threat if German soldiers withdraw from Konya, as the AWACS aircrafts are among the most important defense mechanisms of NATO with their range of 400 kilometers in detecting aircrafts in flight.

Turkish officials, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had said “We won’t allow the MPs who approved that decision into our country,” and started preventing German MPs from visiting the Incirlik base after the German Federal Parliament recognized the Armenian massacre of 1915 as a “genocide” in a vote in June 2016.