UEFA has handed a two-match suspension to national team footballer Merih Demiral for displaying the ultranationalist ‘grey wolf’ gesture during a goal celebration against Austria in the last-16 round game of Euro 2024.
While the game saw Turkey qualify for the quarter finals, UEFA had initiated an investigation into the player after his behavior caused controversy in Germany, the host country of the championship.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) is set to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If the suspension stands, Demiral will miss the upcoming quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday and a potential semi-final.
Diplomatic row with Germany
After the investigation was launched, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had announced his intention to attend the quarter-final match, canceling his scheduled program with the Organization of Turkic States.
In a statement on Friday, Erdoğan defended Demiral's actions, comparing them to national symbols on other countries' sports uniforms and criticizing the response as disproportionate. “Merih expressed his excitement through this display,” he asserted.
"Unless there is an extraordinary situation, we have decided to go to the match," Erdoğan declared, signaling his support for the player and the national team.
Turkey summons German ambassador over Euro 2024 goal celebration row
The ‘grey wolf’ gesture has led to diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Germany. Following the game, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed that “symbols of extreme Turkish nationalists have no place in our stadiums.” In response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador, asserting that the sign is a historical and cultural symbol and accusing the German officials' reactions of xenophobia. In response, Germany also summoned Turkey’s ambassador.
Debate within Turkey
The incident has also sparked a public debate within Turkey, with government officials and opposition leaders weighing in.
Officials from Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and their allies Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which the gesture is associated with, have expressed their backing for Demiral.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel also defended Demiral’s actions, voicing his disapproval of the investigation into the football player. However, he brought up the case of Deniz Naki, a former Kurdish football player for Amedspor, who was handed a 3.5-year ban in 2018 for displaying the victory sign, a punishment that eventually led to his quitting football.
“A few years ago, a young athlete was vilified by those who today advocate for the freedom of this gesture, simply for making a victory sign. They should question their own consistency,” Özel remarked, referencing Naki’s case. (VC/VK)
