Berlin’s vibrant Turkish community is gearing up to paint the town red as they eagerly await their team’s arrival in the German capital for the Euro 2024 match against the Netherlands on Saturday.
“The atmosphere will be like a home game for us,” said Muhammet Ali Sevilmiş, 36, who runs a phone repair shop in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district.
“There will be mainly Turks in the stadium,” predicted Sevilmiş, who himself spent 500 euros ($540) on a ticket after Türkiye’s victory against Austria to reach the quarterfinals.
“For us Turks, it doesn’t matter whether it’s 100 euros more or less. The main thing is that we’re in the stadium celebrating on the day,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Sevilmiş will be joined at Berlin’s Olympiastadion by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Turkish leader has announced his attendance amid a spiraling diplomatic row over an alleged ultranationalist hand sign made by Turkish defender Merih Demiral during his team’s win over Austria.
German officials have condemned the hand gesture, and UEFA has launched an investigation into “inappropriate behavior,” prompting Ankara to accuse the allegations of being xenophobia.
Ambassadors of both countries were summoned in tit-for-tat moves as the episode once again laid bare the political tensions that often engulf Germany’s Turkish community.
With emotions expected to run high at the match, Berlin police have said they will deploy more officers, classifying Saturday’s quarterfinal as a “high-risk game.”
‘We are the hosts’
But fans shrugged off the concerns, saying they are just looking forward to a nice party.
Berlin is home to the largest Turkish community outside Türkiye, many of whom are descendants of “guest workers” invited under a massive economic program in the 1960s and ’70s.
Around 200,000 people with Turkish roots currently live in the city, constituting around 6% of the total population.
The Kreuzberg district in particular has become a hub for Turkish culture and restaurants serving the famous döner kebab.
Kavurma-Kofte, a small Turkish eatery with a terrace on one of the main streets running through the neighborhood, will show the match on a big screen on Saturday.
“It is special because many Turks live in Berlin, and we will be the hosts,” said owner Kemal Salis, 64.
The restaurant is fully booked for Saturday, Salis said.
“We have not seen the Turkish team in such good form for a long time. It’s an atmosphere we have missed,” he said.
At Imren, another nearby Turkish restaurant, the excitement was palpable.
Street party
Ibrahim Filikçi, 29, was still hoarse from celebrating the team’s win against Austria on Kurfürstendamm, one of Berlin’s main shopping avenues where thousands of Turks gathered on Tuesday night.
Arrests were reported at a previous gathering on the street, but Filikçi said the mood was peaceful.
“The street was completely blocked off. Police were there, but everything was fine. No problems, no fights, everything was great,” he said.
Tahsin Yılmaz, 53, said he will support both teams on Saturday, wearing half red and half orange, as his father worked in the Netherlands.
“I like the Netherlands, and I want to party with them, drink with them, etc. The Dutch are very nice and friendly; you can have a nice time with them, dance, and have fun,” he said.
Dutch fans have brought a lively atmosphere to the tournament so far, filling German cities with their bright orange shirts.
But Sevilmiş believes they will be no match for the Turks in Berlin.
“We know the Oranje. It won’t be a competition; you’ll understand what I mean on the day,” he said.
Turks living in Germany have sometimes faced criticism for their continued loyalty to the Turkish team, despite Germany having several players with Turkish roots, including captain Ilkay Gündoğan.
Sevilmiş, who was born in Berlin, pointed out that if all goes well for Türkiye, they could eventually face Germany in the final.
Would he still support Türkiye then?
