Press
In Germany, calls for a ban on grey wolves are becoming louder. However, Federal Interior Minister Faeser has not yet agreed to a ban proposal.
Berlin – After the scandal surrounding the wolf salute of Turkish national player Merih Demiral after the European Championship match against Austria on Tuesday, calls for a ban on the Grey Wolves in Germany are growing louder. “If a football player in Germany can show the right-wing extremist salute with impunity, that must be a wake-up call for the federal government. The traffic light coalition must finally ban the fascist terrorist organization Grey Wolves. Then showing the wolf salute would also be a criminal offense,” said the federal executive director of the Left Party, Katina Schubert, to the Daily Mirror.
The nationalistic wolf salute by the Turkish national player also outraged the Greens. “Tolerance towards grey wolves must also end outside the stadium. Anyone who wants to build a firewall against the AfD demands, it must also establish itself against Turkish fascism,” writes Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir on X. The message of the wolf salute of the Turkish nationalists, also known as the Grey “Ülkücü Movement”, is right-wing extremist and stands for terror and fascism.
Gray wolves endanger coexistence in Germany
The Kurdish Community of Germany (KGD) is also calling for a ban on the Grey Wolves. “As the Kurdish Community of Germany, we are like all victims of Turkish right-wing extremism in the Türkiye We are more than appalled by the celebration of fascism and racism at the European Championships. The Grey Wolves are deeply racist and anti-Semitic and their inhuman ideology also endangers peaceful coexistence in Germany. We therefore call on the Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser to finally ban the Grey Wolves and their successor organizations and the identifying symbols with the wolf salute,” said KGD Federal Chairman Ali Ertan Toprak in an interview with fr.de from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Wolf salute is an attack on football, freedom, democracy and the rule of law
The International Society for Human Rights (IGFM) is also demanding consequences following the Turkish national player’s wolf salute. After all, Demiral’s display of the fascist wolf salute is not only an attack on football, but on freedom, democracy and the rule of law, according to a statement from the IGFM. Here too, the demand is clear:
“The right-wing extremist group the Grey Wolves is a threat to democracy, freedom and security in Turkey and also in Germany. Not only is the genocide of Armenians, Aramaeans and Pontic Greeks denied, members of minorities and activists in Germany continue to receive death threats. The IGFM therefore supports a ban on the Grey Wolves as an organization and the display of the wolf salute in Germany,” said Valerio Krüger, spokesman for the IGFM board, in an interview with our editorial team.
Grey Wolves ideology incompatible with democracy and human rights
The Central Council of Armenians in Germany has shown a similar reaction. “We are shocked that such a sign of hatred and violence is being shown on an international stage in Germany without any consequences from political decision-makers,” explained Jonathan Spangenberg, chairman of the ZAD. “The Grey Wolves stand for an ideology that is incompatible with democracy and human rights and has led to immeasurable suffering in the past. We demand an immediate ban on the wolf salute, similar to Austria and France. In addition, we demand the fight against the right-wing extremist Grey Wolves, who spread their ideology of hatred unhindered in hundreds of clubs in Germany.”
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser also commented on the issue on Wednesday on X. Our security authorities are keeping a close eye on Turkish right-wing extremists in Germany. Grey wolves are under observation by the Federal Office for the Protection of the ConstitutionHowever, Faeser has not yet agreed to a ban request.
Grey wolves have been organized in Germany for decades
The Ülkücü movement or Grey Wolves are not only dangerous because of their nationalism, warned Turkish journalist Cevheri Güven, who lives in exile in Germany, in an interview with fr.de“The nationalists have been organized in Europe for decades. Hundreds of nationalists who were involved in political or mafia-related murders in Turkey have lived illegally in Europe. Abdullah Çatlı, Alaattin Çakıcı, Oral Çelik and Mehmet Ali Ağca are the best known of them,” said Güven, warning of a strengthening in Europe.
“Last May, however, the MHP organized a two-day strategy camp in Kızılcahamam, Ankara. In this camp, it was discussed that the nationalist movement in Europe has lost a lot of power, that the National Vision and the AKP have begun to dominate the youth in Europe and what the nationalist movement should do about it. It was decided that activities in Europe, especially in Germany, should be intensified again and that resources should be made available for this,” says the exiled journalist who is in the sights of the Turkish nationalists.
Wolf salute increasingly leads to diplomatic crisis with Turkey
But the wolf salute case at the European Football Championship is becoming more and more of a political issue. Faeser’s criticism of the Turkish national player’s gesture was “xenophobic,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced. The wolf salute is also a “historical and cultural symbol.” On Wednesday, the German ambassador in Ankara was even summoned to the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Office responded the same way a day later and summoned the Turkish ambassador. Summoning an ambassador is considered a tough diplomatic tool.
Behind the scenes, there is talk that a “high-level delegation” from Turkey would like to watch the European Championship quarter-final match against the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and even President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should also be among the spectators. (erpe)
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