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UEFA, the union of European football federations that organizes the European Football Championship, has opened an investigation against the Turkish national football team player Merih Demiral, accused of alleged inappropriate behavior during Tuesday night’s European Championship match against Austria (won 2-1 by Turkey). The investigation concerns an ultra-nationalist gesture that Demiral made after scoring, and which is causing some tension between the authorities of his country and Germany, which is hosting the European Championship.
During Tuesday’s match, Demiral scored two goals, in the first and 59th minutes. After the second goal, he celebrated by making a wolf-like gesture with both hands, as seen in the main image of this article. The gesture is associated with the Turkish ultranationalist group Ulku Ocaklari, also known as the “Grey Wolves”, which is linked to far-right paramilitary organizations and close to the Eurosceptic and extremist Nationalist Movement Party.
Demiral also posted on X a photo of himself during the match, making the same gesture, which is banned in Austria and France.
After the match, Demiral defended his decision to make the gesture, saying: “I had a specific reason in mind, which was connected to my Turkish identity. I am incredibly proud to be Turkish, and I felt proud after I scored. I wanted to express that and I am happy that I did it.” His behavior was, however, criticized by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who called on UEFA to take action against the player.
Faeser wrote in X that “the 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.”
In response to her criticism, Turkey summoned the German ambassador. A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party also called the German minister’s comments “unacceptable,” saying that “those who look for racism and fascism should focus on the results of recent elections in European countries,” where the right did very well. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called UEFA’s investigation politically motivated, noting that the gesture is not prohibited in Germany and calling the German authorities’ reactions to Demiral “xenophobic.”
Demiral is 26 years old and plays for the Saudi team Al-Ahli. Between 2019 and 2023 he also played in Italy, for Sassuolo, Juventus and then Atalanta. He has been playing for the national team since 2018. In 2019 he had already been reported by UEFA, along with other teammates, for having given a military salute during some European Championship qualifying matches. At that time Turkey was carrying out a military operation in north-eastern Syria against the Syrian Kurds.
2024-07-03 11:09:21
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