Ankara reacts to UEFA's scandalous decision regarding Merih Demiral.

In the round of 16 match of the 2024 UEFA European Championship, national football player Merih Demiral, who made the wolf sign after scoring a goal against Austria, received a 2-match suspension, which drew reactions from Ankara.

VICE PRESIDENT YILMAZ: A PREJUDICED DECISION

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz criticized the decision on his social media account, describing it as "unacceptable" and stating, "We expect the decision to be corrected by a liberal and fair approach, and by thoroughly examining the defense file. The excitement and beauty of football should not be overshadowed by biased decisions."

MINISTER BAK: OUR PLAYERS WILL GIVE THE REQUIRED RESPONSE ON THE FIELD

Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak also criticized UEFA's decision to give national football player Merih Demiral a 2-match suspension. Bak stated, "We condemn UEFA's unfair and biased decision, which we believe has no legal basis and is entirely political. We will continue to seek our rights through legal means against this double standard applied to our country and our national football player Merih Demiral. We believe in our players. They will give the necessary response on the field!"

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: WE REGRET IT

In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that "we regret the two-match ban imposed on our national football team player Merih Demiral by UEFA." Emphasizing that international sports events are organized to bring societies and countries closer together, the statement highlighted that "this decision, which has deeply disappointed all our citizens at home and abroad, has strengthened the evaluations that there is an increasing tendency to show prejudice against foreigners in some European countries."

SPEAKER OF THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY KURTULMUŞ: OUR CHILDREN ARE ALREADY CHAMPIONS

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş condemned the penalty given to national football player Merih Demiral, stating, "I condemn the decision of the UEFA Disciplinary Committee regarding our national football player Merih Demiral. This penalty is the result of a double standard, prejudiced understanding. This decision, which goes beyond its purpose, has cast a shadow over the UEFA Euro 2024 European Football Championship and also undermines the peace and friendship atmosphere of sports. 'Our Children' are already our champions, no matter what anyone does."

AK PARTY SPOKESPERSON ÇELIK: POLITICS CAST A SHADOW OVER FOOTBALL

AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik evaluated the 2-match suspension given to Demiral by UEFA as a wrong decision. Çelik, who used the expression "the fact that the decision was announced in certain circles before UEFA's announcement shows that this decision was made under the influence of certain pressure groups," stated that the decision cast a shadow over football with political pressure.

AK PARTY GROUP CHAIRMAN GÜLER: WE STRONGLY CONDEMN THE POLITICAL DECISION

AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler also criticized the decision, saying, "I condemn this decision made by UEFA for our national football player Merih Demiral. The disciplinary regulation is very clear. Unfortunately, the wolf sign is a traditional attitude and action belonging to these lands, but it was suppressed. A newspaper in Germany announced the 2-match suspension in advance. It is very clear that this is a political reckoning and it is obvious that this decision was made to undermine the morale of the national team. We do not accept this decision, it is a political decision and we strongly condemn it."

WHAT HAPPENED?

Our national football player Merih Demiral showed the wolf sign as a celebration after scoring goals in the Austria match. Speaking after the match about his gesture, Demiral said, "There is no message, I just wanted to show how proud and happy I am." This gesture by Merih caused a great reaction. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser requested sanctions from UEFA regarding this goal celebration. UEFA initiated an investigation against our national football player for "inappropriate behavior." In a statement, UEFA said, "An investigation has been opened in accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations regarding the alleged inappropriate behavior of Turkey Football Federation player Merih Demiral in the UEFA European Championship Round of 16 match between Austria and Turkey, played in Leipzig, Germany, on 2 July 2024. More detailed information will be provided in the coming days." UEFA concluded the investigation and gave a 2-match ban to our national football player Merih Demiral.