Demiral, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win once morest the ÖFB team, will be missing from Turkey’s quarter-final once morest the Netherlands on Saturday and in a possible semi-final. Turkey might now even take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Demiral “did not comply with the general principles of conduct, violated the basic rules of good behavior, used sporting events for rallies of a non-sporting nature and brought football into disrepute,” the European Football Union (UEFA) explained its decision on Friday.
The outcry came immediately – from the highest political level. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the ban was unacceptable and had to be corrected. “The beauty and excitement of football should not be overshadowed by political decisions.”
According to a media report, the Turkish Football Association is now taking the matter to CAS. There is an accelerated procedure there specifically for the European Football Championship, and a decision is likely to be expected as early as Friday evening, reported a reporter from the public broadcaster TRT.
Become a political issue
The case has been a political issue since Wednesday. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the gesture unacceptable. Turkey summoned the German ambassador, and Germany responded in return with the same diplomatic step. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his visit to Berlin for the match once morest the Netherlands.
According to media reports, it was the discussion regarding the wolf salute that prompted Erdogan to visit. “Is anyone wondering why the German national jersey has an eagle and the French jersey has a rooster? Merih (Demiral) showed his enthusiasm with this gesture,” Erdogan was quoted as saying.
The wolf salute usually expresses affiliation or sympathy with the Turkish right-wing extremist Ülkücü movement and its ideology. Demiral justified the gesture with “pride and joy” and denied there was a “hidden message”.
This article was last updated on 05.007.2024 at 14:36.
