German Leftists to Protest Sending AWACs to Turkey Without Parl't Approval

Germany's Left Party (Die Linke) will officially protest the government's decision to send Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) aircraft to Turkey without a parliamentary approval, member of the German parliament’s defense committee told Sputnik on Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov — On Sunday, media reported that NATO would place the Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft as part of its air defense package to Turkey amid the Syrian crisis. The deployment will be carried out by the country’s armed forces. The German government says the deployment only has to do with surveillance operations and the parliament will not be consulted on the issue.

"The Left party will officially protest against this decision of sending troops without consulting the parliament," Alexander Neu said.

Neu also added that the country's political elite "is eager to make Germany a big player [in the Middle East] by military means."

Earlier in the day, German lawmakers criticized the government for the decision, saying that Bundestag should be immediately informed of the details.

On December 18, NATO agreed to provide Ankara with an air defense package that will include AWACS surveillance planes, enhanced air policing, and increased naval presence amid the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with opposition factions and Islamist terrorist groups fighting the Syrian Army.