Large pro-Erdogan rally planned in German city of Cologne

Up to 30,000 people are expected to attend the rally organised by the Union of European-Turkish Democrats (UETD) according to police.

Police sources said about 20,000 demonstrators turned out at the rally, at which protestors held a minute’s silence for the victims of militant attacks around the world.

State media reported on Sunday that 1,400 military personnel had been dismissed for suspected links to an exiled cleric the Turkish government blamed for the attempted coup, a day after Erdoğan moved to bring the military firmly under his control by announcing the chief of staff would report to him.

Turkey has demanded the speedy extradition of Gulen from the United States, but Washington has asked for evidence that he was involved in the attempted coup and has said the USA extradition process must be allowed to take its course.

The Turkish Football Federation said in a statement on its website Sunday that every member of all its committees had tendered their resignations “for the well-being of the ongoing security investigation”.

The committees include those for arbitration, discipline, ethics, licensing, referees, anti-doping, health and foreign relations.

On Saturday he said he planned to shut down existing military academies and put the armed forces under the command of the Defence Ministry.

Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said that prevented the showing of a message from the president and called for a “satisifactory explanation” from German officials. More than 11,000 people remain in custody. Germany’s highest court rejected a complaint against that ban Saturday.

Thousands of supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to demonstrate in the German city of Cologne amid heavy police presence.

In a bid to head-off any potential violence between the different camps, 2,700 officers – including several Turkish speakers – have been deployed to keep the peace, while eight water cannon were also standing by on the streets.

Germany is home to roughly 3 million people with Turkish roots.

Sunday’s decree gives the president and prime minister the authority to issue direct orders to the commanders of the army, air force and navy.

“We are going to introduce a small constitutional package (to parliament) which, if approved, will bring the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and chief of staff under the control of the presidency”, Erdogan told A-Haber television in an interview.

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.

ANKARA, July 29 (Xinhua) – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday described as “unfortunate” comments by US officials suggesting that purges in the Turkish military after a failed coup were damaging cooperation in the fight against Islamic State (IS).