German police on Saturday stopped a march by Turkish fans hours before their Euro 2024 match against the Netherlands because many were performing the controversial Grey Wolves gesture.
“Popular marches are not a platform for political messages,” the German police said via the X platform.
In another context, it was decided to temporarily close the two official fan zones in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (the German parliament building) and evacuate them of fans due to impending storms, according to the organizing committee.
This comes in conjunction with the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to support his country’s team against the Netherlands, today, Saturday, in the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Football Championship, currently being held in Germany.
There is anger among Turks over the decision of the European Football Association “UEFA” to suspend Turkish defender Merih Demiral for two matches after he made the “Grey Wolves salute” while celebrating the victory over Austria (2-1) in the round of 16 of the 2024 European Football Championship.
UEFA considered the salute to be of a far-right nature against ethnic minorities in Turkey, but Turkish officials denied this.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to arrive at the stadium shortly before kick-off, and has defended the gesture, saying the Turkish player was expressing his enthusiasm with the celebration.
Erdogan’s office told the German Press Agency (dpa) that the Turkish president will leave the Olympic Stadium in Berlin immediately after the match and return to Turkey.
For his part, Mehmet Buyukceksi, President of the Turkish Football Federation, commented, saying, “It is a political, illegal and unacceptable decision.”