Türkiye-Germany relations tense amid gray wolf crisis; Turkish ambassador summoned

Germany summoned Türkiye’s ambassador to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin over national footballer Merih Demiral’s gray wolf salute celebration during the Austria match.

An investigation was launched against Demiral after Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser requested UEFA to take action due to the gray wolf celebration,

In response, Türkiye took action and summoned Germany’s Ambassador to Ankara Jurgen Schulz to the Foreign Ministry.

Following these developments, Germany took a reciprocal step and summoned Türkiye’s ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over Demiral’s gray wolf salute goal celebration.

The gray wolf is a powerful national symbol for Turks as it is believed to have saved the ancestors of the Turkish peoples from their enemies and helped them ascend as a great power.

While the body “Gray Wolves” was established in the 1960s. The group is outlawed in France and its symbol is banned in Austria. The Gray Wolves are also under surveillance in Germany.