European Football Championship - Police end Turkish fan march because of wolf salute
Due to many Turkish football fans continuously displaying the controversial Wolf Salute, the Berlin Police have ended the fan march before the EU-Quarterfinal against the Netherlands. The reason being "continuous political messages," the police announced a few hours before kick-off at 21.00 PM on the platform X.
Turkish fans were urged over the loudspeaker to move individually towards the stadium if they had a ticket for the game. The fan march had been interrupted by the authorities about an hour earlier, and they had appealed to the Turkish fans to stop showing the gesture. A fan march is "not a platform for political messages," the police wrote.
The controversy surrounding Merih Demiral's Wolf Salute by the Turkish national player had further heated up the situation before the Berlin EM game. Demiral had shown the gesture after his second goal in the Achtelfinale against Austria, for which he was suspended for two games by UEFA.
The decision of the European Football Union partially caused outrage in Turkey. Turkish football Ultras called on the fans to display the Wolf Salute at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his attendance at the game.
The Wolf Salute generally symbolizes loyalty or sympathy towards the Turkish ultranationalist Ülkücü-Movement and its ideology. In Turkey, it is used by the ultranationalist party MHP, which is a partner in the government under Erdogan.
- Despite the Berlin Police's intervention, several Turkish fans continue to express their support for the Ultranationalist Ülkücü-Movement through the Wolf Salute during the fan march leading up to the EM game against the Netherlands in Berlin.
- The Dutch team and their fans, however, are expected to avoid any form of extremist gestures during the European Football Championship match, as the Netherlands has a history of strict rules against such actions at soccer matches.
- The German Football Association (DFB) has also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and harmony among the fans during the championship, as the EM matches in Germany are being closely watched by European football authorities.
- Merih Demiral, the Turkish national player who was suspended for showing the Wolf Salute, expressed his regret over the incident and urged fans to focus on supporting the team during the Berlin game against the Netherlands.
- The European Football Championship in the Netherlands and Germany has seen numerous security measures being put in place, including increased police presence in and around stadiums, to prevent any potential incidents of extremism or hooliganism among the fans.
- The controversy over the Wolf Salute has sparked debate in the Netherlands and Germany, with some calling for a ban on the gesture in European football events, while others argue that it is a matter of freedom of expression and cultural identity.
