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On Thursday morning, Germany called in Turkey’s ambassador
to Berlin due to a growing diplomatic dispute that started when Turkish
football player Merih Demiral allegedly made an extreme nationalist hand
gesture during his team’s victory over Austria.
As the host of Euro 2024, the German Foreign Ministry
expressed in a tweet that the intention is to leverage the power of sports to
foster unity and camaraderie among individuals.
On the preceding day, Turkey had formally requested the
presence of the German ambassador in Ankara.
Following his second goal in Turkey’s 2-1 win against
Austria on Tuesday, Demiral made a gesture that is associated with a Turkish
nationalist organization.
His actions prompted UEFA to initiate an investigation into
“inappropriate behavior,” drawing criticism from German officials. However,
Ankara swiftly labeled Berlin’s response as “xenophobic.”
The Interior Minister of Germany, Nancy Faeser, expressed
her concern regarding the presence of symbols associated with Turkish
right-wing extremism in stadiums. She emphasized that utilizing the European
football championships as a platform for racism is unacceptable and goes
against the values of sportsmanship and fair play.
Although President Erdogan has not yet personally addressed
the controversy, numerous government ministers and the spokesperson for his
governing AKP party have denounced Ms. Faeser’s response.
Accusing German authorities of “xenophobia”, Turkey's Foreign
Ministry highlighted that the domestic intelligence agency of Germany had
underscored in Its report that not every individual displaying the grey wolf
gesture can be categorized as a far-right extremist.
“We condemn the politically motivated reactions to the use
of a historical and cultural symbol in a way that does not target anyone during
the celebration at a sports event,” it added.
‘No hidden message’
The Grey Wolves, considered the militant arm of Turkey’s
Movement Party (MHP), faces bans in France and Austria but not in Germany.
The organization promoted extreme ideologies and resorted to
physical aggression during the 1980s targeting progressive campaigners and
minority groups.
In a post-game interview in Leipzig, Demiral clarified that
his celebratory actions did not convey any covert or underlying messages.
“The way I celebrated had something to do with my Turkish
identity,” said Demiral, who was man of the match after scoring both Turkey’s
goals.
“We are all Turks, I am very proud to be Turkish and that is
the meaning of this gesture.”
The defender reported that he observed Turkish supporters in
the stands performing the salute.
“I just wanted to demonstrate how happy I am and how proud I
am,” Demiral said, adding that he hoped there would be “even more opportunities
to show this gesture.”
The Turkish diaspora In Germany is the largest in the world,
and the quarter-final match between Turkey and the Netherlands at the
Olympiastadion in Berlin will be of great interest to this community.
The diplomatic relations between the two nations have
historically been strained, with Berlin expressing concerns over President
Erdogan’s suppression of domestic dissent. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged
that securing the cooperation of Turkey, a regional power, is essential in
addressing complex regional challenges.
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