Türkiye has summoned the German ambassador after sharp criticism of Turkish nationwide footballer Merih Demiral’s aim celebration on the European Championships.
UEFA is investigating Demiral for a controversial gesture made after scoring within the Euro 2024 last-16 match in opposition to Austria.
Demiral carried out the wolf salute together with his fingers, a gesture linked to Idealists’ Hearths, a basis affiliated with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
The gesture was condemned by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, politicians and rights teams, who referred to as for a UEFA investigation.
Meanwhile, Türkiye hit again on the criticism.
UEFA stated on Wednesday it was wanting into potential “inappropriate behavior” from Demiral and that “further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.”
Potential sanctions may have an effect on his participation in Saturday’s quarterfinal in opposition to the Netherlands.
Demiral attributed the gesture to his “Turkish identity” after the match, stating it contained no secret message.
“I also saw people in the stadium making the gesture. We are all Turks, I am very proud to be a Turk, and that is what the gesture is all about. I just wanted to demonstrate how happy and proud I am,” he stated.
Demiral additionally acquired backing from his house nation.
The chief of the nationalist MHP, Devlet Bahceli, described UEFA’s initiation of proceedings in opposition to the participant as a “provocation.”
The transfer was “extremely biased and wrong.” UEFA was thus leaping on “the bandwagon of evil” of these “who are obviously hostile to the Turks and Türkiye.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry described the investigation as unacceptable.
Not each individual displaying the signal of the Idealists’ Hearths could possibly be labeled as a right-wing extremist, it stated. Moreover, the wolf salute is just not banned in Germany, and the reactions of the German authorities have been “xenophobic.”
Faeser expressed outrage on the X platform, saying that “symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums.”
“Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable,” she added.
“Our security authorities are keeping a close eye on Turkish right-wing extremists in Germany. The ‘Grey Wolves’ are under observation by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution,” the German minister defined.
Source: www.dailysabah.com