BERLIN,— Germany plans to pull its remaining troops out of Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, by the end of September, as part of a wider pullback from the Middle East linked to the Iran war, the news outlet Spiegel reported Friday.
The German military will also shut down a field camp near the Erbil airport, Spiegel said, citing a briefing given to a parliamentary defense committee.
About 30 German soldiers are currently based at that camp, the report said.
The move follows a decision by the United States to pull out a protection force in Iraq as part of its own troop reduction plans, Spiegel noted.
Germany has already cut back sharply on its Middle East presence because of security concerns tied to the war involving Iran.
A spokesperson for Germany’s defense ministry confirmed that a briefing had taken place and said Berlin intends to reduce troop numbers there gradually over time. The spokesperson did not share specific figures or a timeline.
“We are only scaling back our presence. Key support work, including help for Peshmerga forces, will continue. A group of military advisers will stay on at the embassy,” the spokesperson said.
German forces have operated in Erbil for years, forming part of Berlin’s role in the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Their work has included training and advising Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
Asked whether the US withdrawal plan influenced Germany’s decision, the spokesperson said the choice was made jointly with allies.
“This isn’t about one partner alone. It reflects coordination among all of them,” the spokesperson said at a news briefing.
Since 2014, Germany has given more than $3.4 billion in security and humanitarian assistance to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. At its peak, Berlin had around 500 troops spread across Erbil and Baghdad.
In March, Germany began withdrawing forces from the Middle East after fighting broke out between the United States, Israel and Iran in late February, cutting its Erbil deployment down to roughly 30 troops.
In 2016, Kurdistan’s regional government faced accusations of allowing German-supplied weapons to end up in illegal black market sales.
Germany urged Iraq’s Kurdish regional authorities to make sure that Berlin’s arms shipments were used exclusively by Peshmerga militia fighters battling the Islamic State group.
German public broadcasters WDR and NDR had earlier reported spotting German military equipment, including G3 assault rifles and several types of pistols, being sold on Iraqi Kurdistan’s black markets.
(With files from Reuters | Agencies)
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