UEFA investigates Turkish player Merih Demiral for celebrating goal with nationalistic gesture

LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) — UEFA has launched an investigation into “alleged inappropriate behavior” by Turkish soccer player Merih Demiral after he celebrated a goal at Euro 2024 displaying a hand sign associated with an ultra-nationalist group.

Demiral scored both goals on Tuesday in a 2-1 victory against Austria to earn a place in the quarter-finals.

After scoring the second goal, he appeared to make a sign with each hand associated with the Turkish ultra-nationalist organisation Ulku Ocaklari, better known as the Grey Wolves.

UEFA confirmed on Wednesday that it had appointed an inspector to investigate Demiral. It did not say when the case might be closed. Turkey’s next match is against the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday.

Demiral was previously one of 16 Turkish players reprimand in 2019 for performing military-style salutes during matches at a time when the country was waging a military offensive in Syria.

The Grey Wolves were founded as the youth wing of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, which is currently allied with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party.

In the decades since its founding in the 1960s, the group has been accused of involvement in politically motivated violence, primarily against left-wing groups.

The Grey Wolves group has been banned in France, while Austria has banned the use of the Grey Wolf salute, which is widely used by nationalists in Turkey.

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Euro 2024 AP: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024