Police classify Turkey duel as "non-plus ultra high-risk match"
Approximately 200,000 people with Turkish roots live in the German capital. For them, the EM-quarterfinal match between Turkey and the Netherlands on Saturday evening (21:00/RTL and MagentaTV as well as in the ntv.de-Liveticker) is something very special - but also for the police. They are putting everything at their disposal.
The Berlin Police Union classifies the EM-quarterfinal on Saturday evening between Turkey and the Netherlands (21:00/RTL and MagentaTV as well as in the ntv.de-Liveticker) as a "Nonplusultra-High-risk game." "Given the large Turkish community in our city, the concerns regarding the deployment of personnel are amplified," said union spokesperson Benjamin Jendro to the news portal watson. Around 3,000 officers will be on duty around the game. "Everything that is in any way possible is being mobilized, and we hope for support from the Federal and State governments," said Jendro.
The operational area will not be limited to the "four hotspots" at the Olympiastadion, Fanmile, and the fan meeting points at Breitscheidplatz and Hammerskjöldplatz, "but rather also beyond the Ku'damm, Neukölln, Kreuzberg, where football fans will go or even drive." In the current participant field, there is no "more controversial game than Netherlands against Turkey in Berlin." The visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not change the operational plan. One expects that he will adhere to the "rule of law framework," said Jendro, and made it clear: "The Wolfsgruß is considered a far-right symbol by us."
For the Turkish community in Berlin, the game is a huge football festival. "Berlin is the largest city outside of Turkey with over 200,000 Turkish-rooted people, so of course people are excited," said Board Chairman Safter Çinar from the Turkish Union in Berlin-Brandenburg to the German Press Agency: "Many Turkish cafes and restaurants, which previously had no TV, have now installed one."
It is "really unfortunate" that the fuss around Merih Demiral's Wolfsgruß celebration by the Turkish national player has pushed the sport into the background, said Çinar: "What the young man did is of course nonsense, and he will certainly be punished." However, it was Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser who raised the issue of the Wolfsgruß salute of the "Grey Wolves" with criticism, which brought the incident to the political level. "That was completely unnecessary and poisoned the atmosphere," expressed the TBB Board Chairman. He could not assess whether the expected visit of Erdogan would have an influence on the mood, but he hoped that it would be peaceful before, during, and after the game.
The EM-quarterfinal match between Turkey and the Netherlands on Saturday evening in Berlin, a high-risk game according to the Berlin Police Union, is particularly significant for the large Turkish community in the city. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, is expected to attend the European Football Championship 2024 match, adding an additional layer of interest.
