Turkey demonstrations in Cologne : Police will clamp down on any form of violence

Cologne Erdogan supporters will gather in Cologne on Sunday. While there are no indications pointing towards disruptions, police say they are prepared to deal swiftly and firmly with any violence that may arise.

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Cologne police say they will clamp down on any form of violence at the pro-Erdogan demonstration on Sunday. Up to 30,000 people are expected to show up in support of the Turkish president following an attempted military coup in mid-July.

Until now there has been no evidence that demonstrators plan to disrupt public order but police indicate that they are prepared for any eventuality. On Friday, Police Chief Jürgen Mathies said, “We are prepared for all types of violence.”

2,300 police will be on duty in Cologne and eight water cannons will be available. While Mathies did not rule out banning the demonstration, he said, “At the moment, I don’t see any reason for a ban.” However, if the Turkish government decides to fly in members of its government, this could cause the already heated situation to become even worse. In that case, the police might not be able to guarantee public safety. Then they would be forced to make a last resort decision and call for a ban.

Aydan Özoguz, a federal minister for integration in Germany, warns of attempts by the Turkish government to exert influence on the Turkish population in Germany.

Cologne is often used as a site for Turkish demonstrations because of its central location. In North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) alone, there are a million people with Turkish roots, most of them living in the region called Ruhrgebiet. Almost all Turkish and Muslim associations have their main offices in Cologne, including the Ditib which is an arm of the Turkish religious authorities. “Cologne is effectively the capital of those with Turkish roots who live in western Germany,” explained Yunus Ulusoy from the Center of Turkish Studies and Integration Research at the University Duisburg-Essen.

Why do second or third generation immigrants feel the need to go out on the street to support Erdogan? General Secretary of the European-Turkish Democrats (UETD), Bülent Bilgi says that many are upset about how German media reported on the military coup. “They said, ok, there was a coup and 264 people were killed, and then pushed that away as if it were only an aside.” Ludwig Schulz, a Turkish researcher at the German Institute for Oriental Studies says that many German Turkish people saw the failed coup as a mark of success for their society and democracy.