The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called in the Turkish ambassador in response to the actions of Merih Demiral, the defender for the Turkish national football team. Demiral made the “Grey Wolves” gesture during a match with Austria in the European Championship. According to Reuters, the German Foreign Ministry reported this incident. UEFA has also initiated an investigation into Demiral’s actions, but it is unclear how long the investigation will take.
The gesture made by Demiral has been widely criticized by German interior minister Nancy Feiser and human rights organizations. Feiser specifically denounced the use of symbols associated with Turkish right-wing extremists in stadiums, stating that racism has no place in the European football championship. She emphasized that using the tournament as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.
In response to Feiser’s comments, the German ambassador to Turkey was summoned by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. This incident has sparked controversy and calls for action against discriminatory and extremist behaviors in sports. It remains to be seen what further measures will be taken by both countries and UEFA in addressing this issue.