Conflict between Germany and Türkiye over goal celebration at Euro Cup

On a historic night for his national team, the hero of the Turkish team celebrated his second with the ‘wolf greeting’. A gesture that consists of raising the arms while joining the thumb with the ring and middle fingers of both hands while leaving the index and little fingers vertical.

After the meeting, the German government condemned Demiral’s gesture as he was linked to the Gray Wolvesa far-right Turkish organization.

“These symbols have no place in our stadiums. Using the Euros as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.”Nancy Faeser, the German Interior Minister, reacted on Wednesday on her profile on the social network X.

His colleague in the German Council of Ministers, the head of Agriculture Cem, was more harsh. Ozdemirwho stated that Demiral’s gesture conveys “a far-right message” that “represents terror and fascism.”

He also expressed his indignation that this symbol is not banned in Germany, as it is in Austria. “Anyone who calls for a firewall against Alternative for Germany (AfD) must also build one against Turkish fascism“, he denounced.

In addition to the German government, the UEFA has opened an investigation for “alleged inappropriate conduct” by the Turkish defender. “Further information on this matter will be provided in due course,” UEFA said in a statement.

Ankara summons German ambassador

The German government’s harsh condemnation of Demiral’s gesture has not pleased Ankara. The Turkish authorities have reacted summoning the German ambassador on Wednesday in the country, Jurgen Schulz, to express his protest against the criticism leveled by several German ministers against the Turkish footballer.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has described, through a statement, UEFA’s disciplinary investigation is “unacceptable” against the footballer and has pointed out that “taking into account that the symbol is not prohibited in Germany, the reaction of the German authorities to the actions of the footballer “they are xenophobic.”

In this regard, they recalled that the report carried out in 2023 by German Intelligence explicitly states that “the symbol in question cannot always be attributed to far-right people.”

“We condemn these reactions, which are political in nature, in response to the use of a historical and cultural symbol during a sporting event,” they said.

Who are the Gray Wolves?

The Gray Wolves They are an ultra-nationalist youth branch of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of President Recep Tayyip’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). Erdogan.

Established in the 1960s, this racist, xenophobic and paramilitary far-right Turkish nationalist organization has among its objectives The creation of an empire from the Balkans to China.

They were involved in the political violence between leftists and nationalists that led to Kenan Euren’s coup in 1980. More than 600 murders are attributed to them during those violent years.

They would have also been involved in several conflicts abroadwhere they participated as mercenaries, including the First Nagorno-Karabakh War -even supporting an attempted coup in Azerbaijan in 1995- and in the wars in Chechnya.

In addition, one of its most famous members is Mehmet Ali Agcawho spent 25 years in prison as responsible for a assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981 while he was travelling through St. Peter’s Square in an open vehicle.

Gray Wolves are banned in France and under surveillance in Germany, and their symbol is banned in Austria.

The so-called ‘wolf greeting’ alludes to the myth of the she-wolf Asenaaccording to which a female of this species cared for a boy wounded in battle and gave rise to the first Turks.