Press
Merih Demiral’s celebration in the European Championship match has political consequences: The Turkish Foreign Ministry summons the German ambassador in Ankara. The German government had previously expressed outrage.
Ankara – Following criticism from Berlin of the controversial wolf salute of Turkish national player Merih Demiral in the round of 16 of the European Football Championship has the Türkiye summoned the German ambassador. The news agency AFP on Wednesday from diplomatic circles. Demiral had made the nationalistic gesture after his second goal at His team’s 2-1 victory against Austria shown on Tuesday evening.
The so-called wolf salute is considered a symbol of the right-wing extremist Turkish organization Grey Wolves. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the organization, also known as the Ülkücü movement, as a right-wing extremist group that is opposed to international understanding, peaceful coexistence between peoples and the values of the Basic Law. Its ideology is characterized by racism, anti-Semitism and hostility towards Christians.
Dispute over wolf salute: Gesture of the radical Grey Wolves not banned in Germany
Because of the incident, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) called on UEFA to consider sanctions. “The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums,” Faeser wrote on the online service X. “Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable,” she added. The Interior Minister also pointed out that the Grey Wolves are being monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The Grey Wolves are considered the militant arm of the far-right Turkish party MHP. The group represents radical ideas and used violence against left-wing activists and ethnic minorities in the 1980s. In Germany, neither the Grey Wolves nor their salute are banned – but in Austria and France they are. UEFA has launched an investigation into the incident for “inappropriate behavior.”
Ankara defended the defender of the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli. “The reaction of the German authorities towards Mr. Demiral is itself xenophobic,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry. It also referred to the assessment of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, according to which “not everyone who shows the wolf salute can be described as right-wing extremist.” The ministry spoke of a “historical and cultural symbol” that is directed against “nobody.”
Wolf salute “is right-wing extremist, stands for terror, fascism”
Demiral himself said after the game in Leipzig that there was “no hidden message” behind his goal celebration. “The way I celebrated has something to do with my Turkish identity,” he said. That night, the 26-year-old published a photo of his celebration on X. He hopes that there will be “even more opportunities to show this gesture.” Turkey will play the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) wrote on X that there is actually nothing hidden in the wolf salute: “Its message is right-wing extremist, stands for terror, fascism.” He called on UEFA to draw consequences, and also said that “tolerance towards grey wolves must end outside the stadium.” Anyone who wants to build a “firewall” against the AfD “It must also be built against Turkish fascism,” demanded the minister.
Independently of Demiral’s wolf salute, Austrian striker Michael Gregoritsch called on fans to distance themselves from “right-wing ideology”. Before the match against Turkey in Leipzig, Austria fans had sung the insult “Foreigners out” to the melody of Gigi D’Augustino’s song “L’amour toujours”. The song from 1999 is repeatedly used as a code for right-wing sentiments, and this was done with the so-called Sylt video in the online networks also known to a wider public.
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