Frankfurt, Germany

Erodogan row intensifies: About 30,000 Turkish Kurds held a rally in Frankfurt last weekend, in support of a No vote in next month’s referendum in Turkey on whether to grant President Erdogan sweeping new powers. Many of them carried pictures of the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan (pictured), who is reviled as a terrorist by Ankara. Turkey accused Germany of hypocrisy for allowing the “unacceptable” No rally, after Berlin blocked rallies in support of the referendum in German cities. An estimated 1.4 million Turks living in Germany are eligible to vote in the crucial plebiscite, the result of which is expected to be very close.

Earlier this month, in response to the cancellation of his rallies, Erdogan accused Germany of “Nazi practices”. This week, he denounced Angela Merkel for “employing Nazi measures”. This latest outburst prompted a warning from the chancellor that his Nazi jibes must stop, “no ifs, no buts”; while the deputy chairman of her party said that Erdogan was no longer welcome in Germany. Later, Erdogan told his supporters that “this Europe, like before the Second World War, is a racist, fascist, cruel Europe”, and to expect a “very different” Turkey after the referendum.

Tallinn

UK troops deployed: The first 120 British troops – out of a total deployment of 800 – arrived in Estonia last Friday to join a major Nato mission to deter Russian aggression in the Baltic states. The soldiers, from the 5th Battalion The Rifles, will set up a UK headquarters in the country, before the full deployment arrives next month. Around 300 vehicles have also been sent to Estonia, including Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior infantry fighting vehicles and AS-90 self-propelled artillery pieces. Nato launched its Enhanced Forward Presence programme in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and undeclared war in eastern Ukraine. The UK is leading the mission in Estonia, while other Nato nations are deploying troops to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.