OPINION - Europe's 'Bozkurt' ignorance: Racist interference in football

The author is an academician.

ISTANBUL

In the last 16 round of the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024), the Turkish National Football Team defeated Austria 2-1. The goal celebration of Merih Demiral, who scored the 2 goals of the Turkish team in the match, with the 'Bozkurt' sign was suddenly on the agenda of the European public opinion. Turkish fans shared with great pride the goal celebration of the star footballer with the 'Bozkurt' sign one after the other. At the press conference after the match, Merih Demiral was asked by German journalists about the meaning of the goal.

The national footballer responded to the questions, "I had a goal celebration in my mind and I did it, it's about Turkishness. I am very proud to be Turkish, so I felt it in my bones after the goal. I wanted to do something like that, and I am very happy that I did it. All our fans are proud of us. I saw our fans doing it in the stands, (and) after seeing them I wanted to do it even more, I'm very happy. We are all Turks in Türkiye, I'm proud to be a Turk, I'm proud to be a Turk, I say that every time. That's why I did the goal celebration like that. It's normal, our Turkish fans are also proud of us. I hope we will continue to do it. There is no message, I just wanted to show how proud and happy I am."

‘It's normal’

As our national footballer Merih Demiral has stated, it is "quite normal" for him to make the 'Bozkurt' sign in celebration of a goal. The 'Bozkurt' symbolizes a sacred animal in Turkish mythology and is known as the national symbol. The sign represents 'Bozkurt', who is believed to have led the Turks out of Ergenekon by melting iron mountains. In Türkiye, political actors with different ideologies and views, ranging from social democrats to conservatives to nationalists, have used the 'Bozkurt' symbol and it has been recognized as a common symbol of Turkishness. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk used the 'Bozkurt' symbol on the money he printed, on the state coat of arms, on the postage stamp and on the statue of a 'Bozkurt' holding a flag in the castle of Kahramanmaras, in short, in many places. So, the 'Bozkurt' is not the sign of the "far right," as the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser says.

Political interference in football

Austria banned the use of the 'Bozkurt' sign in 2019. Türkiye condemned this decision, stating that this ban would harm bilateral relations. However, there is no ban on this sign in Germany. Despite this, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser targeted Merih Demiral's goal celebration and asked the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to sanction the player in a statement on the social media platform X. She also stated that security authorities are closely monitoring those who make the 'Bozkurt' sign. Following Faeser's call, UEFA announced that an investigation was opened against Merih Demiral for alleged inappropriate behavior in accordance with Article 31.4 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry described the investigation launched by UEFA as unacceptable. Recalling the report published by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in September 2023, the ministry emphasized that "not every person who makes the 'Bozkurt' sign can be described as a right-wing extremist and while the 'Bozkurt' sign is not a banned symbol in Germany, the reactions shown to Demiral by the German authorities are considered to be xenophobic in themselves. We condemn the politically motivated reactions to the use of a historical and cultural symbol during the celebration of joy at a sporting event in a way that does not target anyone."

Faeser always does this

The magnitude and importance of football's impact on society are obvious. For this reason, football is an important actor for governments and politicians. From the past to the present, football has been seen by politicians as a blessing in disguise to control societies and impose their ideological ideas for their own political future.

Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also frequently uses soccer as a political actor. Before the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) banned team captains from wearing "One Love" armbands in support of LGBT people. In protest against this decision, Germany's national team players posed with their hands over their mouths for a team photo before the match. Nancy Faeser supported this protest by wearing the armband next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the stands and made a statement saying "It is not right that federations are put under pressure." From the very beginning, Faeser had objected to Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, citing human rights violations. It is not surprising that Faeser, who closed down a center for research on Islamism in Germany in 2022, has this attitude towards Islamic countries in such major football organizations.

Reflections of rising right-wing trend in Europe on football

It is possible to clearly see the reflections of the rising right-wing trend in elections in European countries in recent years in this tournament. Many right-wing parties in Europe have started to use anti-immigrant and anti-minority populist policies and xenophobic rhetoric to attract voters. Major sports organizations, which are supposed to contribute to global peace, are used as a tool to convey these discourses to target audiences. It is the duty of football authorities such as UEFA and FIFA to combat racism, which has been a lingering wound on football fields for years. However, while fulfilling this duty, football authorities should put aside double standards and adopt a fair implementation approach. UEFA's different approach towards Türkiye and different approach towards other European countries on issues it has shown sensitivity during EURO 2024 is confusing.

In sports organizations that appeal to large masses such as EURO 2024, the discourse of political actors can shape social discourse both positively and negatively. UEFA's decision in the investigation against our national footballer Merih Demiral should not allow those who try to use the use of a historical and cultural symbol in the celebration of a goal to fuel xenophobia through football. Dutch national team player Wout Weghorst celebrated his goal against Wales in the Nations League by making the "paw" sign, representing the lion, the symbol of the Netherlands. However, no one considered this celebration as "inappropriate behavior."

In the end, the UEFA investigation comes and goes. We are the most colorful team in this tournament with our end-of-match celebrations and the respect in the stands. Such provocations will not overshadow our joy.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu