German Parliament backs plan to pull recon jets from Turkey

BERLIN – Germany’s Parliament has voted by a wide majority to move reconnaissance jets flying anti-Islamic State group missions from a base in Turkey amid ongoing friction between the two countries.

Parliament voted 461-85 late Wednesday to move six Tornado planes, a refuelling plane and around 270 troops from the Incirlik base to Azraq, Jordan, in support of a Defence Ministry decision.

The planes should be fully back in service in October.

Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen decided to relocate the operation after Turkey refused to let German lawmakers visit troops on the base.

Relations between Berlin and Ankara have been strained by a number of issues recently, including Turkey’s jailing of two German journalists and German local authorities’ banning of campaign rallies by Turkish ministers earlier this year.