Military salute during France-Turkey: UEFA opens investigation – News Wire – Euro 2020

Stade de France Monday night. 82^e minute of play, Kaan Ayhan equalizes against the Blues and makes a whole people drunk with happiness. Opportunity found for the Turkish players to celebrate their goal with a military salute against their 3800 compatriots gathered in the park visitors. Once the match ended, Senol Guneş's men made the same gesture against fans in a trance after the draw against the world champions. An attitude that tarnished a great night of football level atmosphere on and off the field including a Marseillaise applauded by a part of the public opponent.

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This patriotic gesture, however, seems to be deeply rooted in Turkish culture. "From nursery school, children make the salvation at school. We must not see anything other than a cultural gesture"Says the"ParisianPatrice Moyeuvre, research associate at IRIS (Institute of International and Strategic Relations). Military service is a real institution, as in France a few decades ago. If we did not do the military service, we are not a man"The picture of Turkish players doing this hello has also quickly spread on social networks. Several ministers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared it as the Minister of Sports, Mehmet Kasapoglu, who was attending the match or the pro-government media who welcomed such a symbol at a time when countries like France condemns the Turkish offensive against the Kurds.

Investigation initiated by UEFA

Present at the Stade de France, the Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu, who had not seen at first the salvation of the Turks, sentenced on Twitter this gesture "contrary to sportsmanshipWhile demanding from UEFA "an exemplary sanction". Eager to be heard, the Minister intends, according to our information, want to send as soon as possible a letter to the European body to support its request for sanction. "His intentions will not be confined to a tweet"We were whispering in his entourage this Tuesday. The images of this salute miliar in any case were not visible by the 7.4 million French viewers present in front of their television set. When asked about this choice, the M6 ​​group claims to have simply respected "UEFA specifications, in which it is requested not to broadcast any signs or banners with political connotations".

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From this point of view, the regulations are clear. In order for UEFA to seize the file and possibly sanction this attitude, these facts must be transcribed in the report of the match established by its officials. This is officially the case. Contacted Monday, the European body confirmed the Figaro that a disciplinary investigation had been opened "on the potentially provocative political behavior" of the Turks Monday night but also Friday against Albania. This is not the first time that Turkish players have marked their support for the politics of their country and their president Erdoğan. Faced with the start of the outcry and in a hot international context, the Turkish Minister of Sports urged UEFA to be "discerning" by showing a photo of Antoine Griezmann sending a military salute to Emmanuel Macron at the presentation of the Legion of Honor to the World Champions last June. The controversy has not finished to exist.