Germany threatens to withdraw surveillance crews

Germany today threatened to withdraw its crew members from Nato surveillance planes that are patrolling Turkish airspace if Ankara sent troops into Iraq.

The warning by Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Defence Minister Peter Struck came as the Turkish military denied reports that about 1,000 of their commandos had crossed into northern Iraq.

“Turkey has not entered northern Iraq,” a spokesman said. “Such news is a lie.”

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said the AWACS flights over Turkey are part of Germany’s obligations to defend a Nato ally and would not be used to support a war.