Erdogan strengthens the European Championship team in Berlin: Controversy around Wolfsgest

Erdogan strengthens the European Championship team in Berlin: Controversy around Wolfsgest

Erdogan visits football game according to the wolf greeting debate

Berlin (dpa)-Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Berlin to strengthen his team in the European Championship quarter-finals against the Netherlands. This visit caused a sensation because it took place immediately after the wolf greetings from the Turkish national player Merih Demiral. The 70-year-old sat together with his wife Emine in the Berlin Olympic Stadium and thus showed his support for the Turkish national team.

controversial gesture ensures discussions

The wolf greeting from Merih Demiral has triggered a heated debate because this gesture is associated with a right -wing extremist movement. The UEFA then imposed a lock of two games against the player. President Erdogan defends Demiral and describes the criticism of the gesture as exaggerated. He argues that the player only wanted to express his joy over the goal.

Short visit without reference to the wolf greeting debate

The team manager Hamit Altintop emphasizes that the visit of Erdogan was already planned before the wolf greeting clate and had nothing to do with the controversy around the gesture. Erdogan had traveled to Berlin especially for the game and was originally supposed to continue to Azerbaijan.

In Turkey, the wolf greeting is mainly used by right-wing extremists such as the ülkücü movement. The gesture symbolizes the belonging to this ideology and is therefore often considered problematic.

- Nag