Passionate support: Turkish fans in Leipzig at the round of 16
Photo: dpa/Sebastian Christoph Gollnow
Quarter-finals in Berlin – not this time the jumping Holland fans will remain the most important memory for Berliners, that much is certain. The formidable Oranje footballers will meet the passionate Türkiye footballers on Saturday evening at 9 p.m., it is the round of the last eight at this European Football Championship. The winner of the game then only needs one more win to reach the final on July 14th. But that has become a minor matter.
The match has become a political issue since the Turkish double goalscorer Merih Demiral showed the wolf salute, the symbol of the right-wing extremist Gray Wolves, on Tuesday evening in Leipzig. On Friday, the European Football Union suspended the defender for two games. 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 the sport of football into disrepute,” said UEFA, justifying its decision. This means that Demiral could play again in the final at the earliest, assuming his team reaches the final.
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The wolf salute is the identifying symbol of the “Bozkurtlar” (Gray Wolves), as the followers of the ultranationalist “Ülkücü” ideology call themselves in Germany. The right-wing extremist doctrine of superior Turkishness is assessed by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as “nationalist, anti-Semitic and racist”.
Turkish ultra fan groups called on supporters on the short message platform X on Thursday to show the wolf salute in the Olympic Stadium, where Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will also be a guest. The Turkish president has announced that he will cheer on the national team in the Berlin European Championship Arena. He would probably like a nationalist gesture that has been presented thousands of times.
He asked rhetorically to the state news agency Anadolu: “Does anyone say anything about the fact that there is an eagle on the German jerseys? Does anyone say anything about the fact that there is a rooster on the French jerseys and why they act like roosters?” The player just wanted to express his enthusiasm. Erdoğan said he would be happy if the matter was settled with a victory on Saturday.
Politicians had previously taken up the issue: On Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry was outraged as to why UEFA was even investigating the player Demiral. He simply used a “historical and cultural symbol.”
Diplomacy was also attempted: Ankara summoned the German ambassador before, in return, the Turkish envoy was summoned to Berlin. Previously, cross-party outrage had been expressed in Germany, including Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faden (SPD) who criticized Demiral’s gesture as “unacceptable” and called on UEFA to take action.
In Turkey, people either felt they were being treated unfairly or were being treated with hostility by envious people. “Anyone looking for racism and fascism should concentrate on the recent election results in various European countries,” objected Ömer Çelik, spokesman for the ruling AKP party.
After Demiral’s penalty became known, Turkish fans started a solidarity campaign on the enemy Slovakia had caused outrage. Who is the bad guy here?
Tempers will also be really heated at the Saturday public viewing in Berlin, whether in the fan zone at the Brandenburg Gate or in the Spätis in Wedding and Neukölln. 200,000 people of Turkish origin live in the German capital. For the police, the match is this »Non plus ultra high-risk game«, as Benjamin Jendro, spokesman for the police union, told the news portal Watson. 3,000 police officers will be on duty.
Meanwhile, the players try to concentrate on the match: that’s what this encounter in the Berlin Olympic Stadium was originally about. The Dutch come with a big chest and a 3-0 win against Romania in the round of 16. Liverpool FC winger Cody Gakpo is a candidate for the top scorer’s crown with his three goals. “I hope that the others get to his level,” said bond coach Ronald Koeman.
The Turks continue to rely on emotions and the almost home advantage. “The fact that we are playing at home obviously gives us an extra boost,” said captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu, born in Mannheim, on Thursday. The Demiral suspension will provide additional motivation for him and his team.
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