YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. Germany’s foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said Turkey has put preconditions for allowing German lawmakers to visit the Incirlik base.

According to the FM, Ankara has said it will allow the MPs to visit the base if Berlin will send back the 450 Turkish citizens who had applied for asylum in Germany, Deutsche Welle reported.

Gabriel, who was speaking on the issue during a visit to the US, said Germany has received 450 asylum applications so far, and 80 have been granted.

“Now, in order to imprison these people the Turkish government wants us to hand them over. This is a situation when a NATO colleague is blackmailing another NATO colleague. This is ruled out”, the German FM said.

Speaking on Turkey’s precondition, Gabriel said it contradicts their laws and constitution.

The FM also commented on his Turkish counterpart Mevult Cavusoglu’s statement, when the Turkish FM said “If Germany wants to leave, it’s up to them, we won’t beg them”.

“I called my colleague, Cavusoglu, I said let’s solve the problem, and what a shame that his response was this statement”, Gabriel said.