Turkey hit back at UEFA's 'unfair' two-match ban for Merih Demiral (2024)

Turkey have hit out at UEFA's decision to hand defender Merih Demiral a two-match ban for his celebrations in the last-16 of Euro 2024.

Demiral scored twice in his country's 2-1 last-16 win over Austria on Tuesday, booking them a quarter-final meeting with the Netherlands.

But the 26-year-old's controversial celebration after his second goal prompted a UEFA probe over alleged 'inappropriate behaviour'.

And a two-game ban has since been confirmed 'for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute'.

Demiral's gesture, a 'wolf's salute', is associated with the Grey Wolves, a far-right extremist group in Turkey.

However, now, Turkey's first-team manager Vincenzo Montella and full-backFerdi Kadioglu hit out at the decision and insisted that it 'was not a political gesture' from the centre-back.

Speaking at a recent press conference,Montella said: 'We consider this ban unfair. It was not a political gesture. It was interpreted as such, but it was just not properly understood.

'But this will not put a brake on Turkish pride. Actually we will be more passionate, more proud, and I'm sure we'll all be highly motivated.'

Kadioglu, meanwhile, said: 'I think the celebration of Merih was nothing to do with political stuff.

'He wanted to celebrate with the Turkish fans and the Turkish nation all over the world, and we find it completely unfair.

'Of course it's a shame he got this suspension, but somebody else will take his place for this match and do well.'

The Grey Wolves, officially called Ulku Ocaklari, is the youth movement of the Nationalist Movement Party - which is in coalition with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

The nationalist leader is set to be present for the last-eight tie against Ronald Koeman's side in Berlin on Saturday night - however he's since called for Turkey to boycott the match.

Leader Devlet Bahceli said:'At this stage, it is a moral and national expectation that our national football team does not play in the Netherlands match and in this way, displays its democratic protest'.

Supporters of the group are considered extremists by Germany's Constitutional Protection Agency, as well as the European Union and the United States.

The gesture allegedly performed by Demiral is banned in France and Austria.

The ban was introduced in Austria in 2019 after a law prohibiting 'extremist organisation' symbols was passed. The gesture can result in fines of up to €4,000 (£3,400).

But in 2019, Turkey's government criticised Austria's stance, claiming the ban equated a symbol of a legal political party with that of the PKK, a Kurdish militant movement considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU.

After the match, Demiral explained why he had performed the gesture.

'I had a specific celebration in mind, something connected to my Turkish identity. I am incredibly proud to be Turkish, and I felt that pride deeply after scoring,' he said.

'I wanted to express that, and I'm very happy I did. Our fans are proud of us. I saw them doing the gesture in the stands, and it made me want to do it even more.'

Germany's Minister of Interior and Home Affairs, Nancy Faeser, urged UEFA to consider sanctions and hit out at the alleged gesture.

'The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums,' Faeser posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning. 'Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.'