Controversy Surrounding Turkish Defender Merih Demiral’s Celebration Sparks Debate and Investigation

Turkey- The celebration of the defender of the Turkish nationwide staff Merih Demiral after he scored the second purpose in opposition to Austria and ensured that his staff certified for the quarter-finals of the European Championship “Euro 2024” began an issue widespread in sports activities and political circles at each official and fashionable ranges.

Demiral launched the “Bozkurt” motion, which includes elevating the little finger and the index finger, which is a inhabitants of the “Gray Wolves” motion, which represented politically by the “Nationalist Motion Get together”, which is banned in lots of European international locations, together with Austria and France.

Nice assault on Demiral

The controversy began after German Inside Minister Nancy Wieser printed a tweet, wherein she expressed her displeasure with Demiral’s show of the “Bozkurt” signal, and stated: “There is no such thing as a place there for symbols of the far proper of Turkey in our stadiums European competitors is a platform for racism is unacceptable, as we count on from UEFA.

Weser additionally shared a hyperlink to the Workplace for the Safety of the Structure’s evaluation of the Grey Wolves motion in Germany, explaining: “Our safety companies are carefully following Turkish right-wing extremists in Germany.”

Because of this the motion of grey wolves is topic to investigation by the Workplace for the Safety of the Structure in Germany, however the motion and the grey wolf mark should not prohibited there.

For its half, the European Soccer Affiliation (UEFA) opened an investigation in opposition to the Turkish defender as a consequence of “attainable inappropriate conduct” through the match underneath Part 4 of Article 31 of the disciplinary guidelines of the federation. He stated in an announcement that “an investigator has been appointed to make a willpower on ethics and disciplinary points.”

On this context, the German-Israel Affiliation, which described the “grey wolves” as a risk to Jews, in addition to Armenians, Greeks and Kurds, requested the German authorities to ban its this proper wing group. “The ideological views of those fascist nationalists put public security in danger,” stated its president, Volker Beck, in an announcement.

#Turkey UEFA denies that an investigation has been opened in opposition to considered one of its gamers within the European Championship, insisting that he was “concerned in inappropriate behaviour”. pic.twitter.com/1GIS4mFq2R

– Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) July 4, 2024

Formal suggestions

On Wednesday, the Turkish Overseas Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Ankara to the ministry’s headquarters in opposition to Berlin’s request that UEFA impose sanctions on the nationwide staff participant, Demiral.

On the identical time, on Thursday, the German Overseas Ministry known as the Turkish ambassador to Berlin to complain in regards to the development of Demiral’s signal which the Overseas Ministry thought of “contradictory.” “

The Ministry of Overseas Affairs of Turkey printed an announcement, criticizing the political beliefs relating to using a historic and cultural image in a method that doesn’t goal anybody throughout a joyous ceremony in a sports activities competitors.

The ministry’s assertion stated: “It’s not possible for UEFA to open a disciplinary investigation in opposition to our nationwide soccer participant Merih Demiral.”

On this context, Turkey’s Minister of Youth and Sports activities, Osman Ashkin Pak, stated, “The hype round this celebration is large. ” He positioned on the stage “X” a photograph of Demiral whereas saluting, saying: “There is no such thing as a want to put in writing lengthy about this subject.”

As for Omer Celik, a spokesman for the Justice and Improvement Get together, he stated: “Those that are involved about racism and fascism ought to flip their consideration to the current European elections.”

Talking on the matter, the chief of the Nationalist Motion Get together, Devlet Bahceli, criticized UEFA and described the investigation as “biased and unfair,” stressing that “UEFA’s participation within the marketing campaign that is in opposition to Turkey and in opposition to Turkey as a part of a collection of ongoing provocations.”

In a transfer inside the framework of supporting the Turkish nationwide staff, in response to activists, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making ready to attend his nation’s match in opposition to the -Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday, within the quarter-finals of the European Cup “Euro 2024”, after canceling a visit to Azerbaijan on the identical day.

Chatting with Al Jazeera Web, journalist Omar Bayram denied that the present disaster between Ankara and London would rise to larger ranges, stressing that he would keep by inside the framework of political disputes even when the European Soccer Affiliation determined to punish the participant. Merih Demiral, regardless of the opportunity of not making use of that penalty.

Bayram referred to the wave of anger that swept Europe after the gamers of the Turkish nationwide staff celebrated by elevating the “military salute” throughout a match within the eighth spherical of qualifying for the European Cup of Nations 2020, however the incident didn’t trigger multiple. alternate of messages between the events involved.

Within the time of wolves, there isn’t any place for sheep amongst us #euro 🤘🇹🇷pic.twitter.com/U06MqgHw3r

– Esra Erdogan – Esra 🇹🇷 (@EssraTurke) July 4, 2024

Common reactions

The Turkish nationwide staff participant acquired large help from all sectors of Turkish society after the European Soccer Affiliation introduced their intention to open an investigation in opposition to him.

Journalist and author Sevda Tokusev introduced her help for Demiral from the primary second and stated: “Melih Demiral, we’re with you from right here..”

On this context, the official fan account of the Turkish membership Fenerbahce printed a photograph of Demiral whereas holding up the Grey Wolves signal and stated: “There are people who find themselves upset , let’s maintain bothering them.”

However, the previous member of the Turkish Parliament from the Kurdish Folks’s Democratic Get together, Ferhat Incu, attacked the actions of the Turkish participant and stated, saying: “I’ll by no means stand with racism and fascist … Those that shot Mademak have been placing up this signal.

What are grey wolves?

A bunch based within the Sixties by Colonel Alp Arslan Turkes, who performed an essential position within the 1960 coup in Turkey and based the Nationalist Motion Get together, which is now an ally of the previous Justice and Improvement Get together ruling.

The title goes again to an previous legend that talks a few genocidal battle in opposition to the Turks, from which just one little one survived, who ended up marrying a wolf and giving beginning 12 folks from her who rebuilt the Turkish tribes.

The group embraces the concept of ​​the prevalence of the Turkish race, opposes the granting of citizenship to Turkish Kurds and Alevis, and counters accusations that it’s a “purely fascist” motion. ‘ there. A number of European international locations determine it as a terrorist group, as it’s accused of finishing up bloody assaults such because the assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981 in Portugal, the killing of greater than 100 Alawites in Maraş in 1978, and dozens of leftist demonstrators in Istanbul’s Taksim Sq. in 1977.

The group, which has been banned in lots of European international locations, has participated in regional conflicts, together with the battle between Turkish and Greek Cypriots in Cyprus, help for the Uyghurs within the Xinjiang area in China, and participation within the first and second Chechen wars in opposition to the Russians.

The group can be believed to have fought in Azerbaijan in opposition to Armenia, earlier than being concerned in a coup try that led to its ban there, and it was additionally banned in Kazakhstan in 2005.

A report by the Federal Company for Civic Training in 2017 recognized the group as essentially the most far-right motion in Germany, surpassing neo-Nazi actions. European experiences affirm that the “gray wolves” are lively with out weapons in international locations with a big Turkish group, comparable to Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, France and Belgium.

In 2020, France issued a call to ban the group after they opposed a monument to the Armenian Genocide close to town of Lyon, writing on it the phrase “Grey Wolves” . The Turkish authorities responded to the choice by saying “there isn’t any group known as the Grey Wolves.”