UEFA has suspended Turkey's Merih Demiral for two matches for making the controversial wolf salute during a Euro 2024 match, ruling him out of Saturday's quarter-final against the Netherlands which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend.
Politicians in Turkey have condemned the UEFA decision and the nation's football association TTF is reportedly set to contest the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Defender Demiral made the gesture, mimicking with his fingers the shape of a wolf's head, after his second goal in a 2-1 victory over Austria in the round of 16 on Tuesday in Leipzig.
The gesture is attributed to a far-right extremist movement known as “Ülkücü” or “grey wolves.” They are linked to Erdogan's political allies, the ultra-nationalist MHP in Turkey.
The gesture often expresses sympathy with the grey wolf ideology. Most recently, the wolf salute in Turkey has also been used by parts of the opposition to appeal to rising nationalism.
Demiral said he only wanted to express that he was proud to be Turkish and that there was no hidden message behind it.
UEFA acts firmly
But UEFA said on Friday it sanctioned the defender "for failing to comply with the general principles of conduct, for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute."
He will miss Saturday's quarter-final in Berlin and the next match, either the semi-final or another UEFA match.
Political statements and gestures are not permitted at UEFA matches.
UEFA had earlier at the Euros banned Albania's Mirlind Daku for two matches after he chanted nationalistic slogans together with fans.
Turkish outrage and disappointment
Turkish Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak said on X that "we condemn UEFA's unfair and biased decision, which we believe has no legal basis and is entirely political.
"We will continue to seek our rights through legal means against this double standard applied to our country and our national football player Merih Demiral."
Turkey's foreign ministry expressed "regret" over the UEFA ruling.
"International sports events are organized to bring societies and countries closer together," it said.
"This decision, which created a deep disappointment for all our citizens at home and abroad, has strengthened the assessments that the tendency to act prejudiced against foreigners is increasing in some European countries."
Turkey had earlier summoned the German ambassador as a reaction to sharp criticism from German politicians of Demiral's gesture.
Ultras call for more wolf salutes
Erdogan confirmed to news agency Annadolu that he would attend the match, expressing hope "the whole thing is over on Saturday when we leave the pitch as winners and reach the next round."
Erdogan said that Demiral had only shown his "excitement" and labelled criticism of the incident excessive.
"Does anyone say anything about the fact that there's an eagle on the Germans' shirts? Does anyone say anything about the fact that the French have a cockerel on their shirts and why they act like cockerels?" he said.
Erdogan did not mention the sanction, but it was not clear if he had talked to Anadolu before or after the UEFA decision was announced.
A Turkish ultras group had earlier asked fans to make the wolf salute in the Berlin Olympic Stadium during the playing of the national anthem before the kick-off.
It said the wolf salute was not racist but "the national symbol of Turkishness."
The match has already been designated "the ultimate high-risk match" by Berlin's police union spokesman Benjamin Jendro.
He told dpa some 3,000 police officers would be on duty, and that the expected presence of Erdogan does not change the situation because "We are already calling on everyone we can."
Tens of thousands of Turks are expected to be at the match, and the Netherlands also have a huge following.
Berlin's Turkish community buzzing
On top of that comes the large Turkish community in Berlin which according to its board spokesman Safter Cinar is excited but hopes everything stays peaceful.
"Berlin is the biggest city outside Turkey with more than 200,000 people of Turkish descent, so the people are naturally happy," Cinar told dpa. "Many Turkish cafés and restaurants that didn't have a TV have now installed one."
Cinar hit out at German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, saying it was her criticism that had added a political dimension to the incident.
"That was completely unnecessary and poisoned the atmosphere."
