Thousands march in Germany in support of Turkey's President Erdogan

Tens of thousands of people in Germany have
turned out in support of Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a rally that raised
diplomatic tensions.
Mr Erdogan had planned to address the rally
in the city of Cologne, held to denounce an
attempted coup two weeks ago, by video link.
But on Saturday, Germany's Constitutional
Court banned the speech from being
broadcast.
German media said at least 35,000 people
turned out.
An estimated three million people of Turkish
origin live in Germany, the majority of whom
voted for Mr Erdogan's AKP party in the last
Turkish election, according to the Turkish
Communities in Germany organisation.
"We are here because our compatriots in
Germany advocate democracy and are against
the attempted military coup," Turkey's
German-born Sport and Youth Minister Akif
Cagatay Kilic said in Cologne.
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A message by Mr Erdogan, thanking the
demonstrators for their support, was read out.
"It is said so often that this is the pro-
Erdogan rally but it is not, it is an anti-coup
demonstration," said one woman, Kevser
Demir. "And I think that it is a duty of
humanity to stay against such a coup."
Close to 2,700 police officers were deployed in
Cologne. A far-right rally was held at the
same time, but participants were kept far
away from the Turkish demonstrators.
A handful of counter-protesters were also in
attendance. One, Gulistan Gul, said it was
crucial to speak out against Mr Erdogan.
"He is trying to have sole power over the
people there," he said. "And we are against
that dictatorship. The Kurds are oppressed,
Armenians are oppressed, other minorities and
religions are oppressed."
German media said the court ruling was made
because of concerns about public order.
Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik had
condemned the decision in a series of tweets .
And Mr Erdogan's spokesman said Germany
owed the president "a satisfactory
explanation".
Mr Erdogan says US-based cleric Fetullah
Gulen was behind the coup.
Turkey's government has sacked another
1,389 soldiers accused of being linked to the
coup attempt on 15 July, in which rebels tried
to oust President Erdogan.
This raises the number of military dismissals
above 3,000 since the failed coup.