UEFA announced on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into Turkey defender Merih Demiral for celebrating a goal in the team's 2-1 victory over Austria at Euro 2024 with an allegedly ultra-nationalist salute.
The tournament organizer stated in a release that it was probing the player for "inappropriate behavior" during Tuesday's knockout match in Leipzig.
The gesture, which Demiral directed toward the crowd after scoring his second goal, is linked to the Turkish ultra-nationalist group Grey Wolves.
Germany's Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, condemned the Turkish player's celebration on Wednesday.
"Symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums," Faeser posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Using the European football championships as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable," she added.
Following the game in Leipzig, Demiral stated that there was no "hidden message" in his celebration.
"The way I celebrated had something to do with my Turkish identity," said Demiral, who was named man of the match after scoring both of Turkey's goals.
"We are all Turks, I am very proud to be Turkish, and that is the meaning of this gesture."
The defender mentioned seeing Turkish supporters in the stands using the salute.
"I just wanted to demonstrate how happy and proud I am," Demiral said, adding that he hoped there would be "even more opportunities to show this gesture."
The Grey Wolves is considered the militant wing of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and has been banned in France and Austria but not in Germany.
The group promoted radical ideas and engaged in violence in the 1980s against leftist activists and ethnic minorities.
Following the last-16 match, the Society for Threatened Peoples, a German human rights organization, urged UEFA to crack down on the use of the wolf salute.
The gesture is "a symbol of oppression and persecution," the NGO's Middle East lead, Kamal Sido, said in a statement.
Separately, Austrian forward Michael Gregoritsch also called on fans to reject "right-wing ideology."
During the game, Austrian supporters were reported to have sung racist lyrics to the tune of popular dance track "L'Amour Toujours" by Italian DJ Gigi D'Agostino.
The chant, which includes the line "foreigners out," recently sparked controversy in Germany after a widely shared clip showed a group of young people singing it on a bar terrace.