UEFA, Europe’s football governing body, has opened an investigation into Turkey’s defender Merih Demiral for “alleged inappropriate behavior” after he displayed the hand gesture of the notorious, ultra-nationalist, neo-fascist Grey Wolves group while celebrating his second goal in Turkey’s 2-1 win over Austria during the UEFA EURO 2024 Round of 16 match on Tuesday in Germany, reports AP News.
UEFA called Demiral’s actions “alleged inappropriate behavior” and confirmed on Wednesday that it had appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector in accordance with Article 31 (4) of its disciplinary regulations to investigate the matter. No timeline for the conclusion of the investigation was provided.
Demiral scored both goals to secure Turkey’s place in the quarterfinals, where they will face the Netherlands in Berlin, Germany on Saturday.
After the game, 26-year-old Demiral stated that the gesture was an innocent expression of his national pride, with “no hidden message or anything of the sort.” He mentioned that he had planned the celebration in advance.
“It has to do with this Turkish identity, because I’m very proud to be a Turk. And I felt that to the fullest after the second goal. So that’s how I ended up doing that gesture. I’m very happy that I did that,” said Demiral, adding, “I saw people in the stadium who were doing that sign. So that reminded me that I also had that in mind.”
When asked again about the gesture, he replied, “How can I explain this? Of course, we’re all Turkish. We’re all Turks in Turkey. We’re very proud. I’m very proud as a person to be a Turk. So that’s what I did. That was the meaning of the gesture. It’s quite normal.”
Demiral expressed his hope for “more opportunities to do the same gesture again.”
Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called on UEFA to punish Demiral for making the gesture, stating, “The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums. Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.”
German authorities characterize the group’s ideology as nationalist-extremist, anti-Semitic, and racist. The group has been banned in France, and Austria has banned the use of the Grey Wolf salute. Germany’s federal domestic agency monitors the Grey Wolves group’s activities, estimating it has around 12,100 members in the country.
The Grey Wolves, an ultra-nationalist youth branch of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), are an ally of President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party. Established in the 1960s, the group was involved in political violence between leftists and nationalists that killed some 5,000 people around the time of a 1980 coup. The Grey Wolves are outlawed in France, and their symbol is banned in Austria. The group is also under surveillance in Germany.
Demiral was previously one of 16 Turkey players reprimanded in 2019 for making military-style salutes at games during a period when the country was conducting a military offensive in Syria.
MHP leader Devlet Bahceli condemned UEFA’s investigation into Demiral’s gesture as “biased and wrong,” stating, “The Gray Wolf sign made by our son, Merih, after netting the ball is the Turkish nation’s message to the world.”
UEFA has been cracking down on misconduct during the tournament, banning Albania’s Mirlind Daku for two games after he led fans in offensive chants and investigating England’s Jude Bellingham for a crotch-grabbing gesture.
The spokesman of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, Omer Celik, responded by saying Faeser’s comments and UEFA’s investigation are “unacceptable,” adding, “It would be more appropriate for those looking for racism and fascism to focus on the recent election results in different European countries.”
