Turkey maintains ban on German visits to Incirlik airbase: Minister

Ankara: Turkey will maintain a ban on visits by German politicians to a key airbase in its south which is used for raids against Islamic State group in Syria, the foreign minister said Monday.

"Right now it is possible to visit the NATO base in Konya (in central Turkey), not Incirlik" in southern Turkey, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference with his German counterpart, Sigmar Gabriel, in Ankara.

The Incirlik base has been at the centre of a spat between the NATO allies since Ankara blocked a visit last month by German parliamentarians.