UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, opened an investigation of “alleged inappropriate behaviour” by Merih Demiral on Wednesday, a day after the Turkish defender celebrated a goal at the European Championship with a hand gesture associated with a far-right, ultranationalist group.
Demiral scored twice Tuesday, lifting Turkey to the quarterfinals of the tournament with a 2-1 win over Austria. After he scored his second goal in the 59th minute, he pinched his fingers together. The gesture resembled the so-called “wolf salute,” a symbol of ultranationalist Turkish group Ulku Ocaklari, known as the Grey Wolves.
“In relation to the 2024 UEFA European Championship Round of 16 match between Austria and Turkiye played on 2 July 2024 in Leipzig, Germany, an investigation has been opened in accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations in relation to the alleged inappropriate behaviour of the Turkish Football Federation player, Merih Demiral,” UEFA said in a statement.
UEFA have opened an investigation against Turkey's Merih Demiral after he celebrated his second goal vs. Austria with the ultranationalist Grey Wolves salute.
German authorities characterize the group's ideology as nationalist-extremist, anti-Semitic and racist.#Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/gwVHjABPA7
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) July 3, 2024The Grey Wolves have been accused of numerous killings, especially during the 1970s, when Turkey endured fighting between right- and left-wing groups. Thousands were killed during that period, and the Grey Wolves were among the most prominent right-wing groups enacting politically motivated violence, often against leftist groups, experts have said.
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Austria in 2019 barred the “wolf” salute, making the gesture punishable by fines up to about $4,300 as part of a broader push to ban symbols of “extremist organizations.” France banned the group in 2020, with a government spokesman accusing it of “extremely violent” actions. The gesture is not banned in Germany, which is hosting the continental tournament.
Still, German politicians condemned Demiral’s actions, with interior minister Nancy Faeser saying such symbols “have no place in our stadiums.” That in turn drew condemnation from Omer Celik, the spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, with which the Grey Wolves are aligned. Celik called Faeser’s comments and UEFA’s investigation “unacceptable,” adding, “It would be appropriate for those looking for racism and fascism to focus on the recent election results in different countries in Europe.”
Asked about the gesture following Tuesday’s match, Demiral said it was an innocuous expression of national pride.
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“It has to do with this Turkish identity because I’m very proud to be a Turk. And I felt that to the fullest after the second goal,” he said. “So that’s how I ended up doing that gesture. I’m very happy that I did that. I saw people in the stadium who were doing that sign. So that reminded me that I also had that in mind.”
Following another question about the gesture, he replied: “How can I explain this? Of course we’re all Turkish. We’re all Turks in Turkey. We’re very proud. I’m very proud as a person to be a Turk. So that’s what I did. That was the meaning of the gesture. It’s quite normal.”
Demiral has been disciplined for nationalistic gestures before. In 2019, UEFA fined Turkey’s soccer federation and reprimanded more than 20 players, including Demiral, for making military salutes in games during Turkey’s offensive in Syria. UEFA at the time said the gestures were “inappropriate given the specific political context at the time.”
UEFA said it appointed an inspector to investigate Tuesday’s incident. It gave no timetable for a decision; Turkey’s quarterfinal match against the Netherlands is scheduled for Saturday in Berlin.
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