Germany Welcomes Turkey's OK for Lawmakers to Visit Troops

Germany has welcomed Turkey's decision to allow lawmakers to visit German troops stationed at a NATO airbase near the Turkish city of Konya.

Turkey has been blocking German lawmakers' requests to visit their troops in the country in recent months amid souring relations between Berlin and Ankara.

German news agency dpa quoted the country's defense minister as saying Tuesday that it was “a good solution” that the seven lawmakers could take part in a visit by NATO officials September 8.

Ursula von der Leyen noted that the nine German troops were part of a NATO air surveillance mission supporting the alliance's fight against the Islamic State group.

A spat over lawmaker access to German troops at the Incirlik base prompted Germany to move troops from there to Jordan.