International anti-war protests: Berlin: Berlin has threatened to recall German soldiers defending Turkish skies if Ankara enters the war on Iraq, writes Derek Scally in Berlin
The German government said it would recall its soldiers working in NATO surveillance aircraft to prevent them becoming involved in the conflict. "If Turkey becomes a party to the war in Iraq then it creates a new situation which, in accordance with our politics of the last months, would lead to the removal of German soldiers from NATO-AWACS planes," said Mr Joschka Fischer, the German foreign minister.
"We will not participate in war."
Mr Peter Struck, the German defence minister, added a "similar situation" applied to a Patriot missile defence system that Berlin supplied to Turkey.
Mr Fischer said, according to German intelligence, there was, as yet, no indication of any "significant change in the presence of Turkish troops" in northern Iraq.
The threatened move could put renewed pressure on Berlin's relations with NATO, already under strain since it unwillingly supplied defence equipment to Turkey after weeks of heated negotiations.
France, Belgium and Germany had initially opposed the deployment of equipment to help protect Turkey against attack from Iraq because they argued this would make NATO a party to preparations for war.
Berlin eventually agreed to providing limited assistance, saying it was obliged to answer defence requests from Turkey, a fellow NATO partner.
"It would be difficult to say [to Turkey] now that we're not going along with this any more," said Mr Gernot Erler, deputy parliamentary leader of ruling Social Democrats (SPD). "We would have to have a convincing reason to \. Unfortunately, this convincing reason could now arise very quickly."
Berlin has declined to say exactly how many soldiers it has deployed, but it is estimated that at least 20 soldiers are working aboard the four AWACS reconnaissance planes that constantly patrol the skies over Turkey's border with Iraq. Without the German soldiers, specially trained in radar and electronics, it is unlikely the specially-equipped Boeing aircraft would be able to fly.
Similarly, the Patriot missile defence system supplied through the Netherlands is useless without the 46 German soldiers trained to operate it.
The controversial decision to send German soldiers to Turkey without asking parliament will come under scrutiny this week when the opposition Free Democrats (FDP) lodge a complaint with Germany's highest court.
"The latest developments in Turkey mean it is no longer possible to talk about a routine defence deployment," said Mr Guido Westerwelle, the FDP leader.