GERMANY – Germany could move troops now based in Turkey to another country if Ankara persists in denying German lawmakers permission to visit them, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, highlighting renewed strains between the NATO allies.

Some 250 German troops are stationed at Incirlik air force base, contributing to NATO’s mission targeting Islamist State militants in neighboring Syria. Turkish foreign ministry sources told Reuters a visit by German parliamentarians would not be appropriate at this time, without elaborating. Turkey similarly refused access to German parliamentarians late last year, though that visit eventually went ahead.

“We will continue to talk with Turkey, but in parallel we will have to explore other ways of fulfilling our mandate,” Merkel told reporters on Monday. “That means looking at alternatives to Incirlik, and one alternative among others is Jordan,” she said.(Reuters)[+]