A rally of thousands of Erdogan supporters took place in Cologne

In Cologne on July 31, a rally was held in support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, organized after an unsuccessful military coup.

According to various estimates, from 20 to 40 thousand people came to the action. The organizers announced the participation of 30-50 thousand people.

The rally was attended by Turkish Minister of Sports and Youth Akif Kilij. The organizers planned to broadcast Erdogan's own address at the rally, but the German authorities banned the broadcast of any appeals for security reasons. A spokesman for the Turkish president called the ban "an attack on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly," AFP reports.

Simultaneously with the rally of Erdogan's supporters, actions were held, including the local ultra-right organization Pro NRW, Kurds and Turkish nationalists.

• In Turkey, on the night of July 16, an attempt was made to carry out a military coup. The mutiny, the Turkish authorities announced, was staged by followers of US-based preacher Fethullah Gülen. After the suppression of the rebellion in the country, a state of emergency was introduced, giving the government additional powers.
• About three million people with Turkish roots and about one and a half million Turkish citizens live in Germany.