The UEFA announced on Wednesday the opening of an investigation into “alleged inappropriate behavior” to the Turkish defender Merih Demiralduring the round of 16 match against Austria on Tuesday, when the player allegedly made a gesture identified with the extreme right.
Author of the two goals in his team’s victory (2-1), the same Demiral posted on his account X a photo celebrating one of the goals with open arms and making the symbol of the “Gray Wolves”a Turkish far-right group.
After the match, Demiral He assured that this gesture does not contain any “hidden message” and that he only wanted to express his “happiness” and his “pride” for being Turkish.
“The way I celebrated it has something to do with my Turkish identity (…) I am very proud to be Turkish and that is the meaning of my gesture”justified Demiralchosen as the most valuable player of the match.
However, this Wednesday the UEFA announced in a statement that it had appointed a “researcher on issues of ethics and discipline” to study the case.
Criticism against Demiral for his far-right gesture
The image quickly went viral on social media and was widely criticized.
“The symbol of Turkish right-wing extremists has no place in our stadiums”reacted in X German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser.
“Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is totally unacceptable. We hope that UEFA will investigate the case and consider sanctions.”he added.
“It is the symbol of oppression and persecution”denounced the leader of the NGO Association for Threatened Peoples in the Middle East, Kamal Sido.
For his part, the Turkish Minister of Sports Osman Askin Bak He replicated the player’s photograph with the message “No need to say much…” and the Turkish flag.
The ‘Gray Wolves’ It is the paramilitary branch of the Nationalist Action Partya formation of extreme right in Türkiyeand is banned in countries such as France and Austriaalthough not in Germanyfor its violent actions in the 1980s against left-wing activists and ethnic minorities.
Source: Ambito
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