Turkish team manager Altintop: Wolf salute debate "unfair"

European Football Championship - Turkish team manager Altintop: Wolf salute debate "unfair"

The manager of the Turkish football national team, Hamit Altintop (41), described the debate over the Wolfsgruß scandal as unfair. This discussion had not left any traces within his team, stated the former Bundesliga professional of FC Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich at MagentaTV before the EM quarter-final in Berlin against the Netherlands. "However, it is unfair because people do not know the history and culture of Turkey."

According to Altintop's view, it was a matter of "misinformation in the press," which some politicians had "partially exploited." "That's unfair." Altintop could not clarify these statements specifically.

"We are all grown-ups enough to hire a historian and learn more about Turkey," Altintop suggested and referred to the millennia-long history of the country. "In the end, it's important for us to focus on the essentials: playing good football and showing reasonable behavior," Altintop said. "We don't want to make a bigger deal out of it than it already is."

The Turkish national player Merih Demiral showed the so-called Wolfsgruß sign in Leipzig on Tuesday after scoring his second goal in the 2:1 in the round of 16 against Austria. The UEFA suspended the 26-year-old for two games as a result.

The Wolfsgruß symbol typically expresses affiliation or sympathy with the Turkish ultranationalist Ülkücü movement and its ideology. In Turkey, it is used, for example, by the ultranationalist MHP party, which is a partner of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan was also present in the stadium on Saturday evening.

"In the end, it's important for us to focus on the essentials: playing good football and showing reasonable behavior," Altintop reiterated. "We don't want to make a bigger deal out of it than it already is."

1. Despite the suspension of Merih Demiral due to the Wolfsgruß sign, the German-based Turkish national team player Hamit Altintop believes in focusing on soccer and reasonable behavior during the European Football Championship (EM).
2. During an interview on MagentaTV before the quarter-final against the Netherlands, Altintop criticized the unfair debate surrounding the Wolfsgruß scandal, suggesting that people lack knowledge about Turkey's history and culture.
3. The manager of the Turkish soccer national team and former Bundesliga professional, Hamit Altintop, argued that misinformation in the press and exploitation by some politicians had fueled the controversy.
4. Altintop, who has played for prominent German clubs FC Schalke 04 and FC Bayern Munich, urged everyone to educate themselves about Turkey's rich history, given its millennia-long past.
5. In the ongoing European Football Championship, the debate around the Wolfsgruß sign, a controversial symbol associated with the Turkish ultranationalist Ülkücü movement, has caused controversy in Germany and Europe.
6. Altintop, who was born in Turkey and represented the country in international soccer, emphasized the importance of minimizing the controversy, as the team aimed to play soccer and portray positive behavior during the tournament.
7. As the Turkish soccer team prepared for the quarter-final against the Netherlands in Berlin, Hamit Altintop called for focusing on soccer, highlighting the country's extensive history and reminding everyone that small matters should not overshadow the main objective of a successful EM campaign.

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