Erdogan plans to travel to Berlin for Turkey's Euro quarter-final

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears set to attend the national team's Euro 2024 quarter-final match against the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday amid a goal celebration controversy involving Turkey player Merih Demiral, reported dpa.

Presidential sources told dpa that Erdogan has cancelled a planned trip to Azerbaijan which was scheduled for Saturday.

There was no immediate official confirmation that Erdogan will travel to the German capital for the match.

Local media reported that the president wants to show solidarity with the national team in person.

Demiral mimicked with his fingers the shape of a wolf's head after his second goal in a 2-1 victory over Austria in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

The controversial gesture is attributed, among other things, to a right-wing extremist movement. The movement known as “Ülkücü” or “grey wolves” are linked to Erdogan's political allies, the ultra-nationalist MHP in Turkey.

The ruling body UEFA is investigating potential "inappropriate behaviour" from Demiral.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faden (SPD), among others, criticized the player sharply. The movement is closely monitored in Germany.

The gesture often expresses sympathizing with the grey wolf ideology.

Demiral said after Austria game that he only wanted to express that he was proud to be Turkish and that there was no hidden message behind it.

Most recently, the wolf salute in Turkey was also used by parts of the opposition to appeal to rising nationalism.