Before Erdogan at Turkey game: Kurdish community calls for ban on Grey Wolves
The Turkish national team plays against the Netherlands in the Football European Championship in the evening. They will have to do without their defender Merih Demiral. He was suspended because he showed the so-called Wolf's Salute of the Grey Wolves in a previous game. President Erdogan has publicly protected Demiral and will be present at the stadium on Saturday evening.
"I have great concerns and fears that Erdogan will provoke today," said Toprak. "He lives off such conflicts. And I also assume that he will eventually show the Wolf's Salute." Toprak referred to the fact that the Grey Wolves in Germany are represented politically by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has been the most important coalition partner of Erdogan's ruling AKP government for years.
"We must finally also take note of and combat Turkish, migrant right-wing extremism in Germany," demanded Toprak. The Grey Wolves would "above all incite the youth here against Germany with nationalism." Toprak referred to the fact that the Bundestag had already called on the Federal Ministry of the Interior at the end of 2020 to examine the possibility of banning the Grey Wolves.
According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, there are approximately 12,500 Grey Wolves supporters in Germany. The largest association is the Federation of Turkish Democratic Idealist Associations in Germany e.V., which is considered an offshoot of the MHP allied with Erdogan.
- The German SPD politician Ali Ertan Toprak has criticized theactions of the Turkish municipality in Berlin, highlighting their ties to the Grey Wolves.
- During the preparations for the Turkey match in the European Football Championship, discussions about potential prohibitions against the Gray Wolves in Germany have arisen.
- Nancy Faeser, the German Federal Minister of the Interior, has not ruled out the possibility of banning the Grey Wolves in Germany, considering their potential threat to German values and security.
- The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been vocally supportive of Merih Demiral, the suspended Turkish footballer, who made the Werwolf salute in a previous game.
- The Grey Wolves, a far-right Turkish group, have been operating in Germany for years, causing concerns among local politicians and authorities.
- Deutschlandfunk, a German public radio station, has been covering the developments surrounding the Grey Wolves and their influence in German politics and football.
- Germany, as a host nation of the European Football Championship, is under pressure to ensure a peaceful and inclusive atmosphere during the tournament, especially considering the presence of the Turkish national team and their supporters.
- Dutch authorities have expressed their concerns about potential tensions between the Turkish and Dutch fans during the match, calling for vigilance and cooperation to maintain public safety.
- Several reports have suggested that the Grey Wolves plan to display the Werwolf salute during the Turkey match, resulting in concerns and increased security measures in the stadium.
- The German Federal Government, in collaboration with governing bodies, is working towards preventing any provocations or conflicts during the Turkey match, aiming for a successful and peaceful finale to the European Football Championship.
