Turkish footballers ignore UEFA, perform military salute in 1-1 draw with France

Turkish footballers ignored warnings from UEFA by performing another military salute in their 1-1 draw with world champions France on Monday.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish footballers ignored warnings from UEFA by performing another military salute in their 1-1 draw with world champions France amid Turkey’s ongoing military operation in northern Syria.

Olivier Giroud scored for France in the 75th minute before Kaan Ayhan equalized for Turkey moments later in the 81st. His teammates then lined up in front of the away supporters and performed the salute.

Turkey leads Group H of the Euro 2020 qualifiers, ahead of France on goal difference.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, said on Sunday that it would “examine” reports of the footballers who performed a military salute during a Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania in Istanbul on Friday.

Read More: UEFA says it will ‘examine’ Turkish footballers’ military salute

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) posted a tweet after the Albania game, which showed the players and coaching staff in the dressing room making the military salute.

In the tweet, the TFF wrote that the athletes had “dedicated their victory to our brave soldiers and fellow martyrs.”

UEFA’s press chief Philip Townsend told the Italian Ansa news agency on Sunday that he had not seen the gesture but agreed it “could be considered a provocation.”

“Does the regulation prohibit references to politics and religion? Yes, and I can guarantee you that we will look at this situation.”

Turkish warplanes and artillery began bombarding Syria’s predominantly Kurdish northeastern town of Serekaniye on Oct. 9, the beginning of an offensive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called “Operation Peace Spring” that has since spread to several other areas.