A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry announced today, Thursday, that "Germany has summoned the Turkish ambassador in Berlin due to the wolf salute celebrated by Turkish football player Merih Demiral after scoring during a match in the UEFA European Championship." UEFA has opened an investigation into Turkish defender Merih Demiral following his hand gesture resembling a wolf's head celebrating a goal during a European Championship match against Austria on Tuesday night. This gesture is associated with the "Gray Wolves" organization, the nationalist extremist youth wing of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party, an ally of President Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party.
The German Foreign Ministry posted on the social media platform X stating that it summoned the Turkish ambassador, following the Turkish Foreign Ministry's similar action with the German ambassador in Ankara, and emphasized, "As hosts of the UEFA European Championship 2024, we want sports to be a factor of unity."
The Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized the way the German authorities handled Demiral, asserting it involved "bias against foreigners," and deemed the UEFA investigation unacceptable. It defended Demiral's gesture as a historical and cultural symbol that does not target anyone during his celebration in the match.
German Interior Minister criticized Demiral's gesture on X, stating that "using the UEFA Championship for racist purposes is categorically unacceptable." The "Gray Wolves" organization was established in the 1960s and was involved in political violence between leftists and nationalists in Turkey, resulting in the deaths of around five thousand people during the 1980 coup period. The organization is banned in France, and its symbol is prohibited in Austria. The Interior Minister noted that while the wolf salute is not banned in Germany, the organization is under surveillance.
German and Turkish media reported that Erdoğan intends to travel to Berlin on Saturday to attend the match between Turkey and the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
