Turkish centre-back Merih Demiral was seen flashing the insignia of the notorious, neo-fascist Grey Wolves organization after scoring a brace during the UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16 match against Austria.
The Grey Wolves are a Turkish far-right political movement and the youth wing of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Ultra-nationalist and neo-fascist, the Grey Wolves are banned in France and designated as a terrorist group in Germany due to their fervent anti-Armenian and Armenophobic acts, behaviors, and tendencies. France, years ago, accused the group of “extremely violent actions,” spreading “extremely violent threats” and creating “incitement to hatred against authorities and Armenians,” said Gabriel Attal, spokesperson of the French Cabinet.
Racism has no place in sports. UEFA long has championed the motto “Say No To Racism” in an effort to eliminate hate from football. Demiral and Turkey must be punished. This is not the first time the Turkish National Football Team and its players have flashed fascist insignia. Cenk Tosun, during his time at Everton FC, flashed the fascist group’s sign after scoring a goal for the Merseyside club. UEFA also investigated the Turkish National Football Team in 2019 afterTurkey’s national footballers gave a military salute in support of Ankara’s armed offensive against Kurds in Syria.
Article 16, 2 (e) of UEFA’s disciplinary proceedings manual prohibits “the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages that are of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.”
Demiral also published the photo on social media captioning the image “Ne mutlu Turkum diyene” or “How happy is the one who says he is a Turk” a motto coined by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, architect of the Great Fire of Smyrna and other genocidal crimes against Armenians and Greeks.
