UEFA is investigating Turk Merih Demiral after he made a gesture with far-right connotations on Tuesday after scoring in the 2024 European Championship victory over Austria.
Demiral made a “wolf” salute with his hands after scoring his second goal in Turkey’s 2-1 win over Austria to secure their place in the quarter-finals and set up a match against the Netherlands on Saturday. The gesture is associated with the Grey Wolves, a far-right nationalist group based in Turkey. The group is banned in France and Demiral’s gesture is illegal in Austria — where it carries a fine of up to €4,000.
“An investigation has been opened in accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Rules regarding the alleged inappropriate conduct of the Turkish Football Federation player, Merih Demiral,” UEFA said in a statement. “Further information on this matter will be made available in due course.”
If UEFA decides to punish Demiral, he could be fined or suspended. FIFA fined two Swiss players for making a similar gesture during a World Cup match in 2018. Demiral was among Turkish players reprimanded in 2019 after making military gestures during matches while the country was also conducting military operations in Syria.
Demiral was asked about the gesture after the game and he said he had it in mind before scoring. The gesture, he insisted, was “very normal.”
“It has to do with that Turkish identity, because I am very proud to be a Turk. And I felt that especially after the second goal. That’s how I came to make that gesture. I’m very happy I did it,” Demiral said, via The Associated Press. “I saw people in the stadium making that gesture. That reminded me that I had that in mind too.”
The gesture is not illegal in Germany, which is hosting the 2024 European Championship, but it was nevertheless strongly condemned by the country’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, on social media. Faeser also said the Grey Wolves were currently under observation by German authorities.
The symbols of Turkish legal scholars are not to be found in our city. The European football champion as a platform for purebred students is completely unknown. We realize that UEFA is investigating the autumn and season competition. https://t.co/65yoSUAAQJ
— Nancy Faeser (@NancyFaeser) July 3, 2024
“The symbols of Turkish far-right extremists have no place in our stadiums,” she wrote in German. “Using the European Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable. We expect UEFA to investigate the matter and consider sanctions.”
According to The Associated Press, Faeser’s comments prompted Turkey to summon the German ambassador in protest on Wednesday.
Turkey will face the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday.
