In KölnerInnenstadt, several thousand Kurds have protested against TürkischenMilitäreinsatz in norrn Syria. "Terrorist Erdoğan" and "dictator Erdoğan" called some demonstrators with reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Many participants of rally carried transparent mitAufschriften such as "Freedom for Kurdistan", Andereschwenkten flags of Kurdish People's Defence units (YPG). The Cologne police spoke of about 14,000 participants.

The police had initially stopped demonstration through norrn city centre after a few hundred meters and urged demonstrators to roll up flags with picture of imprisoned chief of banned Kurdish Workers ' party PKK, Abdullah Öcalan. When demonstrators continued to show PKK symbols repeatedly, police dissolved event. Prior to rally, officials had, according to ir own information, secured crate flags of PKK, banners and pictures of imprisoned PKK leader. Two people were taken into custody.

The police measured protests in inner city with a "considerable potential for conflict" and was with a strong contingent on ground, including officials from Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Hesse. It was feared that violent clashes could occur between demonstrators and nationalist Turks. By noon, however, it remained relatively peaceful according to police figures.

Crates confiscated PKK flags

Before rally, re has been an incident according to police figures. Thus, civil servants were attacked by protesters MitFahnenstangen. However, police corrected earlier information at noon and made it clear that re was KeinenSchlagstockeinsatz. The Ebert place where rally was held was WEITRÄUMIGABGESPERRT.

To nationwide large-scale demonstration under motto "Everywhere is Afrin – resistance is everywhere", KurdischeDachverband Nav had called Fidesz, according to constitutional protection of PKK. The occasion is Turkish offensive in Syrian-Kurdish region of Afrin on sourn border of Turkey. The military action is directed against YPG militia, which government in Ankara classifies as a military arm of banned Kurdish Workers ' Party PKK.

Cologne-thousands demonstrating against Turkish military deployment in Cologne, several thousand people have gone on streets to demand withdrawal of Turkey from north of Syria. The Turkish military is currently facing Kurdish YPG militia. © Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen, Reuters Date Of Update: 28 January 2018, 12:03