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Turkey Summons German Envoy as UEFA Probes Player’s Gesture

  • German minister condemned the gesture as ‘an extremist sign’
  • Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned German envoy over incident
Turkey’s Merih Demiral gestures as he celebrates scoring during their UEFA Euro 2024 match against Austria on July 2.Photographer: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa/AP Photos

UEFA has launched an investigation into Turkish footballer Merih Demiral for a nationalist hand gesture during a match at EURO 2024, prompting German denunciation. Turkey has responded by summoning the German envoy in protest.

The probe by European football’s governing body follows Demiral’s use of the “gray wolf” hand gesture at the conclusion of Turkey’s match against Austria on Tuesday in Germany. UEFA appointed an inspector to investigate the alleged inappropriate behavior, according to its website.