an hour agoTurkey calls German ambassador after pressure to condemn Demiral
Periskopi(2 years ago)
(2 years ago)Turkey's Foreign Affairs Ministry has summoned German Ambassador to Ankara Jurgen Schulz, following a disciplinary investigation launched by the U. EFA towards Turkish footballer Merih Demiral. The investigation concerns a gesture made by Demiral, as it scored a goal during the Euro-2024 match between Turkey and Austria on Tuesday. Declaration [...]
The ministry's statement, published on its site, declares UEFA's investigation unacceptable, stressing that the symbol grey warrior is not banned in Germany.
Moreover, the report published by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in September 2023 stressed that the sign “the gray water” cannot necessarily be linked to right-wing extremism”, the statement said.
The statement highlighted a report by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which said that not every person who makes the mark “The gray warrior” could be labeled as an extreme right-wing extremist.
The ministry criticised German authorities' reactions to Demiral as xenophobic and politically motivated, claiming the gesture was a historical and cultural symbol.
The debate arose after Demiral celebrated his goals during the match, marking the grey Wolf, which he shared in his account on social networks. That led Fezer, German Interior Minister, to call for sanctions from the U. EFA, declaring in social media that the symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in their stadiums, and that the use of the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is totally unacceptable.
U n EFA has launched an investigation into the incident, which could result in sanctions against Demiral. The match held in Leipzig, Germany, ended with Turkey's 2-1 victory, securing their country in the quarterfinals of Euro-2024.
