The European football association UEFA has launched an investigation into Turkish international player Merih Demiral after he celebrated a goal with the so-called wolf salute. The investigation concerns alleged inappropriate behavior by the 26-year-old, UEFA announced. If Demiral is punished by the football association, he could face consequences for the upcoming European Championship quarter-final against the Netherlands.
After his goal to make it 2-1 in the round of 16 against Austria in Leipzig, Demiral formed the hand sign and symbol of the Grey Wolves with both hands. Demiral said that the way he celebrated had to do with his “Turkish identity”.
The supporters of the right-wing extremist Ülkücü movement, which is monitored in Germany by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, are known as the Grey Wolves. Authorities estimate that the movement has around 12,100 members in Germany. In Turkey, the ultra-nationalist MHP is their political representative and an ally of the Islamic-conservative AKP of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The wolf salute refers to the general movement of Turkish ultra-nationalists. Showing the salute is not a criminal offense in Germany.
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Federal Interior Minister Faeser is outraged
Meanwhile, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser also criticized the Turkish national player. “The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums,” said Faeser. “Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.”
In a post on the online platform X, Faeser called on UEFA to react. She wrote: “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.”
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The European football association UEFA has launched an investigation into Turkish international player Merih Demiral after he celebrated a goal with the so-called wolf salute. The investigation concerns alleged inappropriate behavior by the 26-year-old, UEFA announced. If Demiral is punished by the football association, he could face consequences for the upcoming European Championship quarter-final against the Netherlands.
After his goal to make it 2-1 in the round of 16 against Austria in Leipzig, Demiral formed the hand sign and symbol of the Grey Wolves with both hands. Demiral said that the way he celebrated had to do with his “Turkish identity”.
