Berlin police stop Turkish fan march
The Wolf's Greeting is not banned in Germany, but it still carries a clear message. During the march of Turkish fans before the EM-Quarterfinal against the Netherlands, the fans showed it in large numbers. The Berlin Police intervened.
The Berlin Police halted the fan march of Turkish fans before the EM-Quarterfinal against the Netherlands. The reason was that many Turkish football fans had shown the right-wing extremist Wolf's Greeting. The fans were asked to refrain from showing the gesture. A fan march is "no platform for political messages," the police stated on the platform X.
The controversy over the Wolf's Greeting of the Turkish national player Merih Demiral had already heated up the situation in Berlin before the EM-match. Demiral had shown the gesture after his second goal in the Round of 16 against Austria and was suspended for two games by UEFA as a result. The decision of the European Football Union (UEFA) caused partial outrage in Turkey. Turkish football Ultras called on the fans to show the Wolf's Greeting in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a visit to the game.
The Wolf's Greeting is the symbol of the right-wing extremist Turkish organization Grey Wolves. In Turkey, it is used by the ultranationalist party MHP, which is a partner in the government under Erdogan. The gesture is nonetheless not banned in Germany.
The Turkish ultranationalist party MHP, a government partner in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, uses the Wolf's Greeting as a symbol. Despite this, the European Football Championship 2024 organizers have strict policies against political messages, including the Wolf's Greeting, which caused tension when Turkish fans were asked to refrain from showing it before the quarterfinal match against the Netherlands.
