Germany reacts

Wolf salute scandal is increasingly becoming a political issue

Merih Demiral's scandalous celebration is increasingly becoming a political issue.(Bild: AP/Ebrahim Noroozi)

The so-called wolf salute by Turkish national soccer player Merih Demiral at the European Championship in Germany is drawing further diplomatic circles. Now there has been a political response from the European Championship hosts. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that he will be present at the quarter-final match in Berlin. 

The Turkish ambassador in Berlin was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday, according to a ministry spokeswoman in Berlin. The German ambassador in Ankara had already been summoned on Wednesday. The Turkish government accuses Germany of "xenophobia".

Demiral had shown the "wolf salute" with his hands after a goal in Turkey's round of 16 match against Austria, which is considered a symbol of the right-wing extremist Turkish Grey Wolves. The group has 18,500 members in Germany, making it the country's largest right-wing extremist organization. The Grey Wolves are not banned, but they are monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan(Bild: AP/Khalil Hamra)

President Erdogan will travel to the match in Berlin at short notice due to the heated debate, according to several Turkish media reports. The 70-year-old was originally due to fly to Azerbaijan on Saturday, but now he wants to "support" the national team in Berlin. The president could not understand the harsh criticism of the goal celebration, the report continued. 

Faeser calls for consequences
The wolf salute is not banned in Germany. "The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums," wrote German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on the X platform nonetheless. "Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable." She called on the European soccer association UEFA to investigate the case and consider sanctions, which it agreed to do.

Turkey beat Austria 2-1 in Leipzig on Tuesday and will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals in Berlin on Saturday. Demiral scored both goals against Austria, but will be suspended for the quarter-finals and semi-finals.