A day after Turkey lost 2-1 to the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals in Berlin, German media are still expressing indignation at the behavior of Turkish fans both inside and outside the stadium.
Germany's Bild newspaper reported this week that thousands of fans of the Turkish national team marched in protest, performing the banned “Grey Wolf salute,” a show of support for the extremist, anti-Semitic group known as the Grey Wolves.
“This was an expression of hatred by thousands of Turks at the match against the Netherlands and a shameful wolf salute in front of President Erdogan and Ozil in the stands in Berlin,” Bild wrote about the Turks' actions.
“The climax came when the Turkish national anthem was played at the Olympic Stadium, and hundreds of Turkish fans gave the wolf salute in front of President Erdogan, who sat in the head box next to former Germany player Mesut Ozil, who has a wolf tattoo.”
“Of course, the catalyst was the suspension of Merih Demirel, who celebrated the victory against Austria on 2 July with a wolf salute. Before the match, police intervened with Turkish fans, complaining that 'thousands of Turks were seen making the wolf salute'. The police had to stop a march to the stadium because of the Turkish attitude, the use of fireworks and flares.
“The operation required more than 3,000 police officers and Turkish fans were asked to stop marching and disperse, and instead to reach the stadium by public transport.”
“Some might claim it was sportsmanship, but it was a display of hatred. In addition to the wolf salute, anti-Israel slogans such as 'Free Palestine' were heard and some Turks were arrested. The atmosphere finally calmed down at 1am.”
Germany is home to millions of Turkish immigrants, who gave the Turkish team a warm welcome and created a great atmosphere in their home stadiums, but as mentioned above, it was not a very pleasant sight. Demirel's actions rekindled the political and social tensions that had been at their peak in recent days and clouded the atmosphere.
Imagine a world where it was OK for Nazis to give the salute, and that's exactly what's happening right now between Turkey and its racist fans. pic.twitter.com/cnVV9240Rh
— Gev Iskajyan (@geviskajyan) July 6, 2024
What are the Grey Wolves?
The Grey Wolves are the youth wing and paramilitary organization of Turkey's far-right nationalist movement. It is considered a terrorist organization with fascist, racist and nationalistic tendencies. Over the years, its members have been suspected of terrorist activities, mainly against left-wing activists and Kurdish organizations in Turkey.
The Grey Wolves support the idea of establishing a Turkish polity stretching from the Balkans in the west to China in the east and harbor racist ideology, primarily against Kurds, Greeks, Armenians and Jews. The organization distributes a Turkish translation of Adolf Hitler's book “Mein Kampf” and also spreads anti-Semitic theories such as the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”
Last year, the group released a blatant threat to the Israeli delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympics, citing a video that showed pictures of the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 11 murdered Israelis, with the caption “Paris” at the end. Soccer player Demirel supports the group.
The Grey Wolf March is illegal in parts of Western Europe, and security forces in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium have put Turkish migrants under scrutiny for suspected support of the group.
Regarding his controversial salute, Demirel said: “My salute is related to my Turkish identity. There is no 'hidden message' behind it. I have seen others in the stands doing the same salute. I am proud to be Turkish and I was just expressing that.”
