The wolf salute of Turkish football player Merih Demiral at the European Championships in Germany is attracting further diplomatic attention. The Turkish ambassador in Berlin was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday, a ministry spokeswoman announced. The German ambassador in Ankara was summoned on Wednesday. The Turkish government accuses Germany of “xenophobia”.
Demiral had shown the wolf salute with his hands after scoring a goal in Turkey’s round of 16 match against Austria, which is considered a symbol of the right-wing extremist Turkish “Grey Wolves”. In Germany, the group has 18,500 members, making it the largest right-wing extremist organization in the country. The “Grey Wolves” are not banned, but they are monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The wolf salute is not banned in Germany. “The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums,” wrote German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on the X platform (Twitter). “Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.” She called on the European Football Association (UEFA) to investigate the case and consider sanctions, which it agreed to.
Erdogan travels to Berlin for the quarter-finals
Turkey beat Austria 2-1 in Leipzig on Tuesday and will play the Netherlands in the quarter-finals in Berlin on Saturday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to attend this match.
Demiral scored both goals against Austria. He now faces a ban. The “Bild” newspaper reported on Thursday evening that he would be banned for two games. However, Turkish media then reported that a decision had not yet been made in the case. UEFA initially declined to comment.
