A diplomatic row has erupted after Turkish footballer Merih Demiral made a salute associated with the ultranationalist ‘Grey Wolves’ organisation at a match in the German city of Leipzig on 3 July.
The display of the ‘wolf salute’ at the European Football Cup has prompted renewed calls to ban the ‘Grey Wolves’ movement in Germany.
Amid mounting diplomatic tensions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced that he will attend the match between Turkey and the Netherlands in the German capital Berlin. The visit is seen as a clear support for Turkish footballer Merih Demiral, who had displayed the ultranationalist wolf salute.
The Grey Wolves movement was founded as the youth wing of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) which is allied with Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The gesture has caused diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Ankara. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser Demiral’s actions, saying that “the symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums”. Following the statement, Turkey summonsed the German ambassador on Wednesday and labelled the German reactions as xenophobic.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that the gesture was “a historical and cultural symbol that was not directed against anyone.” Kurdish journalists have strongly opposed this statement by sharing the reality of the Grey Wolves movement. For example, Hayri Tunc shared pictures of murderers, rapists and the people responsible for the Sivas massacre making the wolf salute, exposing the brutal history behind the gesture.
In response, the German Foreign Office now wants to speak to the Turkish ambassador. A spokeswoman for the Berlin authority announced that the incident would be discussed with the Turkish ambassador in Germany on Thursday.
