“Those looking for fascism should focus on the recent election results in various European countries”

Morrocotudo chaos created in the controversial celebration of Merih Demiral in the round of 16 of Euro 2024. The center-back, author of two goals of Turkey in Austria (1-2), the second of them celebrated by doing the ‘wolf salute’, a gesture identified with the Turkish far-right nationalist movement called ‘Gray Wolves’.

The UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector agreed to open “an investigation” into the defender’s “alleged inappropriate behaviour”. Al-Ahli Arab, while the Minister of the Interior of the German Government, Nancy Faeser, described the said celebration as “unacceptable.” “Symbols of the Turkish extreme right have no place in our stadiums. “Using the Euro Cup as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable,” he wrote. Faeser in ‘x‘.

Some words that, after some time, found a response from the Government of Turkey, which described the celebration of Demiralwith his arms raised while performing the same gesture by joining, on both hands, the thumb with the ring and middle fingers while leaving the index and little fingers horizontal.

Demiral, “very proud”

“We condemn the political reactions directed against a historical and cultural symbol used unintentionally at a sports festival,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that “those who seek racism and fascism are should focus on the recent election results in various European countries. The player expressed himself along the same lines, saying that he is “very proud to be Turkish. “That is the meaning of this act.”