Turkey's Demiral banned after controversial Euros salute

Turkey defender Merih Demiral will miss his team's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with the Netherlands after UEFA suspended him for two games on Friday for making an alleged ultra-nationalist salute.

Demiral scored two goals in the 2-1 last 16 win over Austria on Tuesday and during celebrations for his second goal made a gesture associated with Turkish right-wing extremist group Grey Wolves.

UEFA said in a statement Demiral was banned "for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute."

Turkey's sports minister on Friday condemned UEFA's "unfair" two-match ban for Merih Demiral.

"We condemn UEFA's unfair and biased decision, which has no legal basis and that we consider to be purely political," Osman Askin Bak wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Demiral will also miss a potential semi-final against England or Switzerland should Turkey overcome Netherlands on Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend that match at the Olympiastadion in Berlin amid a diplomatic row following the gesture.

Turkey summoned Germany's ambassador on Wednesday over politicians' reactions to Demiral's controversial celebration.

Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser warned "the symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums" on social media platform X.

Demiral said his celebration was related to his "Turkish identity".

The 26-year-old former Juventus defender, now at Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, said there was no "hidden message" in his gesture.

The Grey Wolves advocated radical ideas and used violence in the 1980s against leftist activists and ethnic minorities.

The group has been banned in Austria and France but not in Germany.

Germany's agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir said Wednesday "nothing about the wolf salute is hidden".

Ozdemir, one of the most prominent German politicians with Turkish roots, said the symbol "stands for terror (and) fascism".