Erdogan lands in Berlin shortly before kick-off
When the evening EM-Quarterfinal match between Turkey and the Netherlands begins at the Olympiastadion, the spotlight on sports momentarily fades. Turkish fans are called upon to make a far-right gesture. Is Erdogan, the Turkish president, supporting them?
The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reportedly planning to make his visit to Germany for the EM-Quarterfinal between Turkey and the Netherlands as brief as possible. The president will arrive shortly before the football game and leave the same evening, according to Erdogan's office. No further engagements in Germany have been planned. The game at the Olympiastadion is scheduled to start at 21.00 hours (ntv.de-Liveticker and RTL).
The Turkish president has reportedly decided to attend the Quarterfinal in Berlin due to the controversy over the so-called Wolf's Salute by Turkish national player Merih Demiral. The UEFA has banned Demiral for two games due to this gesture.
Demiral displayed the Wolf's Salute during the EM-Round of 16 against Austria. This gesture typically expresses allegiance or sympathy with the far-right Turkish movement Grey Wolves and their ideology. In Turkey, it is used by the ultranationalist MHP party, which is a coalition partner of Erdogan. In Germany, the Grey Wolves count 18,500 members, making it the largest far-right organization in the country. The organization is not banned but is monitored by the Constitutional Protection Agency.
"Unacceptable, illegal and political"
Erdogan criticized the gesture but denied any far-right affiliation. Erdogan stated that Demiral had only wanted to express his "excitement" over his goal with the Wolf's Salute. The Turkish government accuses Germany of xenophobia. The UEFA's decision to ban Demiral was described as a "scandal" in Turkish media. The president of the Turkish Football Association, Mehhmet Büyükeksi, called it "unacceptable, illegal and political". Turkish football ultras urged fans attending today's Quarterfinal at the Berlin Olympiastadion to also display the Wolf's Salute.
The Kurdish community in Germany recommends the German government to ban the Grey Wolves in Germany. The chairman of the Kurdish community, Ali Ertan Toprak, told Deutschlandfunk that he expected "the Grey Wolves and their symbols to be banned in Germany", but the German government apparently does not do so because they "don't want to upset the Turks".
- Despite the UEFA's ban on Merih Demiral for his Wolf's Salute gesture, there are calls from Turkish football ultras for fans to display it during the European Football Championship 2024 Quarterfinal match between Turkey and the Netherlands.
- The controversial Wolf's Salute, often associated with right-wing extremism and the Turkish movement Grey Wolves, has been a point of contention between Turkey and Germany, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizing its ban by UEFA.
- The tension over the Wolf's Salute extends beyond sports, with political implications as the Grey Wolves, a far-right organization with 18,500 members in Germany, are monitored by the Constitutional Protection Agency, and their ideology is linked to Turkish nationalism and the MHP party, a coalition partner of President Erdogan.
