Home > Sports News > Cemil Tugay responds to claims that a statue of Merih Demiral will be erected: 'We will not erect a statue of a footballer making the Grey Wolf sign in İzmir'

Cemil Tugay responds to claims that a statue of Merih Demiral will be erected: 'We will not erect a statue of a footballer making the Grey Wolf sign in İzmir'

The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Council decided to send a motion to the relevant committee regarding the erection of a statue of national footballer Merih Demiral, who was sanctioned by the UEFA Disciplinary Committee for his "Grey Wolf" gesture during the EURO 2024 Round of 16 match against Austria. The CHP's Communications Unit denied the claims. İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay stated, "We will not erect a statue of a footballer making the Grey Wolf sign in İzmir."

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At the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality's regular council meeting in August, a motion to erect a statue of footballer Merih Demiral in İzmir was accepted unanimously and sent to the relevant committee.

Motions added to the agenda at the IMM August regular council meeting were discussed and put to a vote. The issue of the UEFA Disciplinary Committee imposing a 2-match ban on national footballer Merih Demiral due to his "Grey Wolf" gesture during the EURO 2024 Round of 16 match against Austria was brought to the agenda. The motion by Bahadır Altınkeser, Deputy Group Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Council, to erect a statue of the national footballer in İzmir was accepted unanimously and sent to the relevant committee.

İZMİR-TEL AVIV SISTER CITY PROTOCOL CANCELLED

During the meeting, the motion to cancel the sister city protocol between the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and Tel Aviv, which was among the agenda items, was also cancelled unanimously.

Making a statement after the decision, AKP Karabağlar Council Member Kazım Erten said that the council had taken a historic decision.

Thanking the council, Erten said, "When the concept of a sister city comes up, we use the analogy that cities that guarantee different beliefs, cultures, and ethnicities and produce civilization can be sister cities. In this respect, this decision taken unanimously by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality actually sets a standard."

MHP Deputy Group Chairman Bahadır Altınkeser also stated that he wholeheartedly congratulated the decision taken by the council, saying, "The Israeli attacks that started on October 7 have reached the scale of a massacre. While the whole world boycotts Israel, which it has declared a terrorist state, with actions, it is not possible for our beautiful city of İzmir to remain a sister city with Tel Aviv. Our council has done what befits it here."

AKP Provincial Chairman Bilal Saygılı, who made a written statement after the decision, also stated that İzmir had clearly shown its side with the decision.

DENIAL FROM CHP

In a statement made by the CHP Communications Unit, it was pointed out that the claims did not reflect the truth, and the following expressions were used:

"The claims that a council decision has been taken to erect a statue of national footballer Merih Demiral in İzmir do not reflect the truth.

The motion regarding the request in question at the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Council has been sent to the relevant committee for detailed examination in accordance with the relevant legislation."

'WE WILL NOT ERECT A STATUE OF A FOOTBALLER MAKING THE GREY WOLF SIGN'

Following the denials from the municipal administration and the CHP, İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay also made a statement on the subject.

Speaking to İsmail Saymaz from Halk TV, Tugay said, "Our deputy council speaker did something like this to avoid rejecting it directly there, sending it to the committee, thinking it would be rejected there. He showed a courtesy in his own way, that is."

Reacting to the claims by saying, "I mean, is such a possibility even likely, for heaven's sake?" Tugay stated, "We will not erect a statue of a footballer making the Grey Wolf sign in İzmir. If you asked a child on the street, they would say that such a thing would not happen."

Tugay said the following about the subject:

"It is even strange that it is taken seriously. I mean, what do they think we are? I don't understand. Our party is clear. Our ideology is clear. The things we will and will not defend in this event are clear. Can I explain? I mean, how could erecting a statue be a thing? Is such a thing possible?

There is an MHP deputy council speaker. He is the one who gave this motion there. They said let's send it to the committee so as not to embarrass him because the group deputy chairman gave it. There is a council meeting tomorrow. A negative vote will come out tomorrow and the issue will be closed.

I congratulate everyone from the municipality who made those news reports separately. I mean, couldn't they have called and asked if there was such a decision?

Referring it to the committee does not mean that this motion has been accepted. A decision will come out of the committee. Then it will be voted on, that is."