Hand gesture during Euro match leads to a diplomatic row in Turkey
After a Turkish football player made a controversial, ultranationalist gesture during a match, Turkey's ambassador to Germany was summoned to the Foreign Office, launching something of a diplomatic row.
The gesture is the salutation for the ultranationalist group the Grey Wolves
Originally published on Global Voices
Image by Arzu Geybullayeva
It was a hand gesture that started it all — a wolf salute — the summoning of an ambassador, a football player getting suspended, and a country-wide discussion on the symbolism of the gesture, as well as sportsmanship and football etiquette. The gesture is a symbol of a group known as the Gray Wolves. Considered far-right and ultranationalist, the group has a complex history in Turkey. The football player, Merih Demiral, a defender on Turkey's national football team, celebrated his team's success at the Euro 2024 Turkey vs. Austria game by flashing the sign after the defender scored an unlikely double — the goals that secured Turkey's victory against the Austrian team. Demiral received a suspension from the next two games due to the move, inspired a wave of political statements, and drew condemnation from people across Turkey.
The Gray Wolves
The Gray Wolves, also known in Turkey as the Idealist Hearths, called Ulku Ocaklari in Turkish, were founded as a youth group in 1966. Journalist Nick Ashdown who covers Turkey wrote the following about the ultranationalist group in August 2023: “Its followers, known as Idealists or Gray Wolves, are adherents of the most extreme form of nationalism in a country […] and subscribe to the concept of an ‘ideal’ Turkey.” The group is known for spreading blatantly racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic rhetoric.
The Idealist's history since their foundation is also marred by violence as the group “took up the mantle to fight against the dozens of revolutionary leftist groups that were sprouting up across the country [at the time and over the years].” He added:
The group is also known as the Gray Wolves, after a mythical she-wolf named Asena, said to have led the Turks’ ancestors to salvation. Their followers salute with the sign of the Gray Wolf, raising their index and pinky fingers as ears and stretching the other three into a snout. They greet each other by lightly knocking the upper sides of their heads together, rather than the traditional pressing of cheeks and two air kisses. Many received paramilitary training from retired generals in so-called ‘commando camps,’ and Turks pledged that they ‘must be ready to sacrifice themselves in serving the state and the nation.’ The group also served as an incubator for future MHP [The Nationalist Movement party] grandees.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is an ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The former dominates the country's bureaucratic positions, especially within the judiciary and security forces.
Following Demiral's gesture, the German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, called for swift investigations and said that the authorities were keeping a close eye on the group's presence in Germany:
Die Symbole türkischer Rechtsextremisten haben in unseren Stadien nichts zu suchen. Die Fußball-Europameisterschaft als Plattform für Rassismus zu nutzen, ist völlig inakzeptabel. Wir erwarten, dass die UEFA den Fall untersucht und Sanktionen prüft.https://t.co/65yoSUAAQJ
— Nancy Faeser (@NancyFaeser) July 3, 2024
The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums. Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable. We expect UEFA to investigate the case and consider sanctions.
“The gesture is legally prohibited in Austria but not in Germany,” reported DW. However, the country is discussing a similar ban according to DW reporting. The group is outlawed in France.
UEFA did suspend Demiral on the grounds the football player failed “to comply with the general principles of conduct,” violated “the basic rules of decent conduct,” and used “sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature.”
Turkey's ambassador to Germany was summoned to the country's Foreign Office, deepening the diplomatic row. Turkey responded by summoning the German envoy to the capital, Ankara.
The UEFA's decision to suspend Demiral also prompted reactions from Turkish politicians. Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “The beauty and excitement of football should not be overshadowed by political decisions.”
Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs first condemned the UEFA's decision to investigate Demiral, over using the symbol that was “historical and cultural.” Following Demiral's suspension, the ministry issued another statement saying, the decision “caused deep disappointment among [Turkish] citizens both at home and abroad, and has reinforced the assessment that the trend of prejudice against foreigners is on the rise in some European countries.”
The leader of Turkey's biggest opposition party the Republican People's Party (CHP), Özgür Özel wrote on X that the decision to suspend Demiral was “politically motivated” and that he hoped for the reverse of the decision following an appeal.
The team's coach Vincenzo Montella described the punishment as “misunderstood.”
Users on X expressed their support for the football player in their own ways:
Bir otobüs firması, aracın camına Merih Demiral’ın fotoğrafını yapıştırdı:
“Yap bir bozkurt dünya görsün” pic.twitter.com/G4F5O2nXUl
—
Muhbir (@ajans_muhbir) July 8, 2024
One bus company placed a poster of Merih Demiral with the following quote, “Make a grey wolf sign so the world sees it.”
Merih Demiral’a selam gönderen doktorlarımız. pic.twitter.com/jxmJ1qE22I
— Conflict (@ConflictTR) July 9, 2024
Doctors saying hi to Merih Demiral
An English footballer Jude Bellingham also made a lewd gesture during the England vs Slovakia game, however, the disciplinary measures taken against him were less severe. The UEFA did not place an immediate ban on Bellingham, only placing a EUR 30,000 (USD 32,600) fine and giving him a suspended one-match ban, noting that the suspension was “subject to a probationary period of one year.” UEFA can either fine or suspend players in case of violations.
Turkey lost its game with The Netherlands on July 6 in the quarter-finals leaving the Euro tournament on a high note after playing its biggest game in 16 years. In an interview with journalists, the team's coach Montennal said, “My opinion after this European Championship is that Turkey will be seen with different eyes in the future, probably with more respect.”
At home, headlines mostly focused on the team and its success rather than the controversial gesture.