Turkish international Merih Demiral celebrates in the European Championship round of 16 against Austria (2:1) with the so-called wolf salute. UEFA has launched an investigation. Demiral is defended in Turkey. What does the gesture mean and where does it come from?
Turkish international Merih Demiral's goal celebration with the so-called wolf salute has reignited the debate about the permissibility of the gesture. UEFA has initiated an investigation. Many sharply criticize Demiral, but he defends it as an expression of his joy.
What does the hand gesture mean?
The hand gesture imitates the head of a wolf and is a symbol and identifying mark of the right-wing extremist movement "Grey Wolves", which was founded in Turkey. The index finger and little finger form the ears, while the thumb and middle and ring fingers form a kind of snout. The gesture goes back to a Turkish myth, but generally expresses affiliation and sympathy with the movement and its ideology.
Who are the "Gray Wolves"?
"Gray Wolves" is a term for the "Ülkücü" movement. Its symbol is the gray wolf (Turkish: Bozkurt). The movement was founded in the 1960s by Alparslan Türkeş and stands for a racist-nationalist ideology that assumes the historical and moral superiority of the Turkic peoples and discriminates against deviations from this.
"Gray Wolves" was the name given to militant youth groups and paramilitaries in the 1960s. They are blamed for numerous political murders of Kurds, Alevis, socialists and trade unionists in Turkey between the 1960s and 1990s.
The "Ülkücü" movement also includes the so-called "Grand Unity Party" BBP and the ultra-nationalist party MHP. It is a government partner of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP.
What does the Office for the Protection of the Constitution say about the "Grey Wolves" in Germany?
The offshoots of the "Grey Wolves" in Germany are being monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. It classifies the group as a "significant threat to the free democratic basic order". The ideology of the "Ülkücü" movement is attested to in the 2023 German Office for the Protection of the Constitution report as "excessive nationalism and group-related misanthropy" such as racism and anti-Semitism. With more than 12,000 followers, it is one of the largest right-wing extremist groups in Germany.
What do politicians in Germany think about the campaign?
In Germany, people are outraged by the gesture. "The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums," said Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser on X. It is unacceptable to use the European Championships as a platform for racism. Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir also said the message was "right-wing extremist, stands for terror and fascism."
"It is scandalous that the German government has been delaying a ban on the Islamist-Turkish organization and its fascist symbolism for years," said Sevim Dagdelen, foreign policy spokesperson for the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, calling for a ban on the far-right group.
The Kurdish community in Germany would also like to see this. "Fans are adopting such signs; among young Turkish people in Germany, too, it is considered cool to be right-wing extremist," explained Ali Toprak, the national chairman. "Imagine if an Austrian player had shown a Hitler salute after scoring a goal."
What do Turkish politicians say about the gesture?
The leader of the ultra-nationalist MHP, Devlet Bahceli, described the initiation of proceedings by UEFA against the player as a "provocation". The move was "extremely biased and wrong". UEFA was thus jumping on "the bandwagon of evil" of those "who are obviously hostile to the Turks and Turkey".
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the investigation and described it as unacceptable. Not every person displaying the Grey Wolves sign could be described as right-wing extremist. Moreover, the wolf salute is not banned in Germany and the reactions of the German authorities were "xenophobic".
What consequences await Demiral?
UEFA has initiated investigation proceedings against Demiral following his goal celebration. UEFA announced on Wednesday morning that it was looking into possible inappropriate behavior by the 26-year-old. If Demiral is punished, he could face consequences for the upcoming European Championship quarter-final against the Netherlands.
