Athens.. The Turkish footballer’s gesture is clearly seen as right-wing extremist in Germany. In Turkey we see the problem elsewhere.
Reactions to the so-called wolf salute made by Turkish national player Merih Demiral on Tuesday night after the second goal against Austrianow also hit the Türkiye Waves. There is great outrage – but not over Demiral’s behaviour, but over the criticism of him. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said it was “scandalous” that UEFA had initiated disciplinary proceedings against the player. This decision by UEFA was “malicious” and “directed against Turkey.”
Read here: Fascist hand signal – this is behind the “wolf salute”
Tunc was also upset by the statement. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser. She said on Wednesday that it was “completely unacceptable to use the European Football Championship as a platform for racism”. The Turkish minister urged Faeser to “look at the racism, discrimination and Islamophobia that are spreading like poison ivy in your own country”.
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Türkiye ordered late Wednesday due to criticism Germany the German ambassador. The AFP news agency learned about this in diplomatic circles on Wednesday.
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Erdogan’s AKP party spokesman Ömer Celik also criticized the interior minister fibers sharp: “If you are looking for racism and fascism, you should go to them recent election results in several European countries focus,” Celik posted on social media. The symbol of the right-wing extremist “Grey Wolves,” which Demiral formed with both hands, is quite socially acceptable in Turkey – especially since the far-right party MHP, the political home of the “Grey Wolves”governed in coalition with the conservative Islamic head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The MHP promotes aggressive pan-Turkism.
Merih Demiral displays the controversial wolf salute after his goal to make it 2-0 for Turkey – causing international outrage. But in Turkey, the excitement is hard to understand.
© dpa | Henrique Schmidt
As expected, the harshest reactions came from Devlet Bahceli, president of the Right-wing extremist MHPwho does the wolf salute at every opportunity. Bahceli spoke in connection with the reactions in Germany and UEFA’s investigation into “harassment” and “provocations”. Demiral’s winning goal apparently “disturbed many sick circles”. It is “one-sided and wrong” for UEFA to participate in this “evil caravan whose hostility towards Turkey is obvious”.
Read too: “Grey Wolves”: MPs call for review of ban
The plaque with which Demiral celebrated his goal was “the message of the Turkish nation to the world,” Bahceli said. Just a week ago, Bahceli announced that he wanted Northern Iraqthe Greek islands of the eastern Aegean, which also Greece Western Thrace and the city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece were incorporated into Turkey.