German air mission pre-Iraq war was unlawful-court

BERLIN, May 7 (Reuters) - German participation in a NATO air reconnaissance mission over Turkey shortly before the Iraq war began in 2003 was unconstitutional because it was not approved by parliament, Germany's top court ruled on Wednesday.

The decision, by the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, reaffirmed the strict rules governing German military operations that have existed since World War Two.

It could limit the flexibility of German governments to deploy troops swiftly in response to military developments. Berlin has already come under pressure from NATO partners, notably the United States, for ruling out a shift in its troops from northern to southern Afghanistan. The court case focused on a decision by the government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who opposed the U.S.-led Iraq war, to allow German air forces to participate in a February-April 2003 mission to protect Turkish air space.

It did so without asking the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, arguing the mission was part of Germany's regular commitment to NATO operations.

Under German law, missions in which German armed forces personnel could be engaged in combat must be signed off by lawmakers and Schroeder's decision prompted a complaint by the Free Democrats (FDP).