Germany: Turkish community holds huge pro-Erdogan rally

[webfact]

Germany: Turkish community holds huge pro-Erdogan rally

COLOGNE: -- In scenes reminiscent of recent rallies in Istanbul and Ankara, members of Germany’s Turkish community have staged a mass show of support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Waving Turkish flags, at least 20,000 people gathered in the city of Cologne to back Turkey’s leader and denounce the recent coup attempt.

“Something like that shouldn’t happen,” said demonstrator Mehmet Gulsefgi.

“Imagine if it happened in Germany. Would it be accepted here? Nobody would allow it. No matter the country in which it happens, democracy must be supported. Everything must be dealt with according to the rule of law.”

On the eve of the rally, Germany’s high court forbade President Erdogan from addressing the crowd via video-conference.

This ratcheted up diplomatic tensions between Ankara and Berlin.

“German Constitutional Court’s decision on the anti-coup rally in Cologne is an utter backsliding in freedom of speech and democracy,” Turkey’s minister for EU affairs, Omer Celik, wrote in English on his official Twitter account.

Erdogan has said it is shameful that Western countries showed more interest in the fate of the plotters than in standing with a fellow NATO member after the coup attempt.

On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Turkey should show proportionality in its pursuit of those behind the failed military coup, adding that she was following developments in the country with concern.

Germany is home to some 3 million people of Turkish origin. In Turkey’s last elections, 60 percent of them voted for Turkey’s ruling AKP Party, according to the organisation Turkish Communities in Germany.

Authorities fear tensions within Turkey could spill over onto German soil which has in the past seen violence between nationalist Turks and militant Kurds.

Police in Cologne reported an ‘aggressive’ atmosphere on Sunday, with counter-demonstrators representing various groups, including the far-right, also on the streets.

-- Euronews 2016-08-01

[jesimps]

Why are they demonstrating when they're supposed to be German?

 

[JemJem]

Dear Jesimps: I know what you mean.

That pro-Erdogan crowd was possibly solely the combination of nationalists and Islamists.

If you ask them 'Why do you feel more Turkish than German ?', they would possibly say 'Oh, but we are being discriminated against here in Germany.......blah blah'.

Nonsense.

For example, I am Turkish; and I have lived in a variety of countries so far; but I have never had any adaptation problem anywhere.

The majority of right-wing Turks (both here in Turkey and overseas) are such embarrassment for me, and for those who think like me.

[Usernames]

Maybe next election they'll vote for Erdogan to replace Merkel.

[thaibeachlovers]

Those Turks have lived in Germany for many years, yet want an Islamic dictator to take over in Turkey. Democracy is meaningless for them.

 

And yet, the western so called leaders are calling for increased immigration of Muslims. Just look how many Clinton wants to bring in. Insanity.

 

[nontabury]

Have the Turkish Muslim community held any mass demonstrations against the recent killings of Germans by Muslims?

Edited August 1, 2016 by nontabury