Turkish footballer Mayh Demiral was suspended for two matches by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Friday for making the salute of the Grey Wolves, a far-right Turkish group backed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The Associated Press reported that UEFA's two-day suspension of Turkish players during Euro 2024 has sparked a diplomatic standoff between Turkey and tournament hosts Germany.
The suspension means Demiral will miss Saturday's quarter-final against the Netherlands and the semi-final if Turkey progresses.
The Turkish Football Federation joined Turkish government officials in condemning the suspension but said it could not be appealed because it was for less than three matches. Leaders of Turkey's nationalist parties called on the team to boycott Saturday's match and return home unless UEFA's “shameful decision” was overturned.
“I think the suspension is unfair because it was not a political gesture. It was interpreted that way but it was simply not understood correctly,” Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella said.
The gesture was condemned as “racist” by German Interior Minister Nancy Faser, and Turkish-German politician Cem Ozdemir said it “symbolizes terrorism and fascism.”
Their comments drew a sharp rebuke from Turkish authorities and led to the German ambassador being summoned on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
UEFA said it suspended Demiral for “failure to abide by the code of conduct, violating basic rules of respectful behaviour, using a sporting event for unsporting behaviour and bringing the sport of football into disrepute,” the AP added.
Before making the decision, Erdogan, who rescheduled a visit to Azerbaijan to watch Saturday's quarter-final, said the 26-year-old defender had simply expressed “excitement” after the second goal.
Turkey's foreign ministry said the decision “strengthened the perception that there was a growing tendency in some European countries to engage in prejudiced behaviour against foreigners.”
This is not the first disciplinary action taken against Demiral: he was reprimanded in 2019 along with 15 other Turkish players for performing a military salute during a match during Turkey's military offensive in Syria.
Former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu flashed the “Grey Wolves” salute during a visit to the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, in 2022, sparking a diplomatic dispute with Uruguay.
Cavusoglu, who was on an official visit to Uruguay to attend the opening ceremony of a new Turkish embassy and to begin negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement, made a gesture used by the ultranationalist organization Grey Wolves at a group of Armenian protesters in Montevideo on April 23, the day before the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a move that was condemned by the Uruguayan president and foreign minister at the time.
President Erdogan also performs the “Grey Wolves” salute at election rallies and gatherings of his AK Party supporters.
In 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to that year's defense spending bill calling on the State Department to classify the Gray Wolves as a terrorist organization.
