Euro 2024 quarter-finals in Berlin as Turkish football festival
Turkish fans celebrate in Berlin. Photo
© Christoph Soeder/dpa
Around 200,000 people with Turkish roots live in the German capital. For them, the game between Turkey and the Netherlands is something very special – but also for the police.
For the Turkish community in Berlin, the European Championship quarter-final between Turkey and the Netherlands in the German capital this Saturday is a football festival. “Berlin is the largest city outside of Turkey with over 200,000 people of Turkish origin, so people are naturally happy,” said board spokesman Safter Çinar of the Turkish Federation in Berlin-Brandenburg (TBB) to the German Press Agency: “Many Turkish cafes and restaurants that previously did not have a television have now all installed one.”
The fact that the sport has been pushed into the background by the fuss surrounding the wolf salute by Turkish national player Merih Demiral is “really very regrettable,” said Çinar: “What the boy did is of course nonsense, and it will certainly be sanctioned.”
However, it was Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) who raised the incident to a political level by criticizing the recognition gesture of the “Grey Wolves”, one of the largest right-wing extremist groups in Germany. “That was completely unnecessary and poisoned the atmosphere,” said the TBB board spokesman.
“Non plus ultra high-risk game”
Çinar said he could not estimate whether and to what extent the expected visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the match on Saturday (9 p.m./RTL/MagentaTV) in the Olympic Stadium would have an impact on the atmosphere. However, he hoped that things would remain peaceful before, during and after the match.
The quarter-finals are a “non plus ultra high-risk game,” said Benjamin Jendro, spokesman for the Berlin Police Union, to the German Press Agency: “With the current field of participants, there is no more explosive match than the Netherlands against Turkey in Berlin.”
Due to the large Turkish community in Berlin, which also meets outside of the hotspots to watch football and party, support from Germany has been requested. Around 3,000 officers are expected to be deployed. Erdogan’s visit will not change personnel plans much, says Jendro: “We are already calling in everything that can be done.”
dpa
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