Turkey’s star player, Merih Demiral, faces scrutiny from UEFA for an alleged extremist gesture during his team’s Euros last-16 victory over Austria.
The defender scored twice in the match, with his first goal setting a record for the fastest knockout goal at the Euros at just 58 seconds. He added a second goal around the hour mark.
However, Demiral’s celebration of his second goal has drawn heavy criticism. He performed the ‘wolf salute’, a gesture linked to the Grey Wolves, a far-right extremist group associated with Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party.
This has led to significant backlash, particularly in countries like Germany, where the Constitutional Protection Agency labels Grey Wolves supporters as extremists.
The gesture is also banned in France and Austria, with Austria instituting the ban in 2019 to curb extremist propaganda.
Following Turkey’s advance to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, UEFA issued a statement regarding the incident, “Match: 2024 UEFA EURO Round of 16 match between Austria and Türkiye played on 2 July 2024 in Leipzig, Germany.
”In relation to the 2024 UEFA European Championship Round of 16 match between Austria and Türkiye played on 2 July 2024 in Leipzig, Germany, an investigation has been opened in accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations in relation to the alleged inappropriate behaviour of the Turkish Football Federation player, Merih Demiral.”
Demiral defended his actions post-match, stating, “I had a specific celebration in mind, something connected to my Turkish identity. I am incredibly proud to be Turkish, and I felt that pride deeply after scoring.
“I wanted to express that, and I’m very happy I did. Our fans are proud of us. I saw them doing the gesture in the stands, and it made me want to do it even more. I am very happy.”
The incident has sparked a wave of controversy and raised questions about the intersection of sports, nationalism, and political symbols.
