Erdogan to attend Euro 2024 match in Berlin as diplomatic row spirals

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has canceled his scheduled visit to Azerbaijan to instead attend the Euro 2024 quarterfinal match in Berlin between Türkiye and the Netherlands on July 6.

The president was initially slated to attend the Organization of Turkic States summit in the Shusha city on the same day. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is expected to attend the event.

Erdoğan's plans changed following UEFA's investigation into Turkish defender Merih Demiral for making a "grey wolf" sign during his goal celebration in a 2-1 win over Austria.

The disciplinary action followed a request from Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who condemned the celebration as racist due to its far-right associations.

"The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums. Using the European football championships as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable," she wrote on X.

Türkiye's Foreign Ministry responded by summoning Germany's ambassador, Jürgen Schulz.

In a statement on July 3, the ministry labeled the investigation as "unacceptable" as the sign is not banned in Germany.

"[Therefore] reactions displayed by the German authorities against Mr. Demiral are themselves containing xenophobia," the statement read, describing this gesture as cultural and historical.

The grey wolf is a sacred animal and national symbol in Turkish mythology, with the hand gesture introduced to Turkish politics in the early 1990s by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) founder Alparslan Türkeş.

Demiral addressed the issue in a press conference following the match.

"I am very proud to be Turkish, I felt it in my bones after the goal," said Demiral, who was named man of the match after scoring both of Türkiye...