Erdogan strengthens Turkish European Championship team in the quarter -finals - politics in football?

Erdogan strengthens Turkish European Championship team in the quarter -finals - politics in football?

Erdogan strengthens Turkish football team

The visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Berlin causes a stir. After a controversy with the wolf greeting, Erdogan shows his support for the Turkish football team in the quarter -finals of the European Championship against the Netherlands in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Together with his wife Emine, the 70-year-old took space in a dark suit and red tie in the stands.

team manager Hamit Altintop emphasizes that Erdogan's visit was already planned before the wolf greetings and has nothing to do with the debate. The decision of the head of state to pursue the game personally has already been determined and was independent of the events around the controversial gesture.

criticism of wolf greeting as an exaggerated

The behavior of the Turkish football player Merih Demiral, who showed the wolf greeting during the game against Austria, has led to discussions. The UEFA then blocked the player for two games. Erdogan defends the gesture and describes the criticism as exaggerated. In his opinion, Demiral only expressed his enthusiasm.

The wolf greeting is often associated with the right-wing extremist Turkish Ülkücü movement. In Turkey, it is mainly used by the ultra -nationalist MHP, a partner party of Erdogan's government. Despite the controversy around the gesture, Erdogan sets a sign of support for the Turkish football team in an important game of the European Championship.

- Nag