Turks at Vienna’s gates, again

For Turkish people seeking the path to the EU, Euro 08 soccer conquests ease the bitterness of Western ties

German and Turkish flags had been sown together in the western German city of Duisburg yesterday. Many Turks living in Germany support not only the team of their homeland, but also the German squad.

By Christopher Torchia - The Associated Press

ISTANBUL - The armies of the Ottoman Empire could not conquer Vienna, but 11 soccer players from Turkey think they can.

That's the way millions of Turks feel, a heady, near-mystical sense that their underdog run to the European Championship semifinals is more than just about scoring goals. To many, it's tied up with identity and insecurity, centuries of conflict and coexistence - and the nation's prickly, modern-day drive to join the club of Europe. «There is an unwritten condition here in this country, the desire to show to the world what the Turks can do,» said Huseyin Bagci, a Turkish academic. «The Turks are bringing a new flair to Europe.»

But it's not just «us» versus «them.»

Nuance also defines a contest that has showcased Turkish skill, tenacity, and - even the most fanatic of fans admit - mind-bending luck in last-gasp wins against the Swiss, Czechs and Croatians that has made some here believe destiny will carry them to the final in Vienna.

Turkey's opponent in Basel, Switzerland, today is Germany, home to nearly 3 million Turks, some of whom moved there as «gastarbeiter,» or guest workers, for low-paying jobs in the 1960s. Two of Turkey's top players, Hamit Altintop and Hakan Balta, grew up in Germany, came through Germany's soccer system and play for top-flight German teams.

So Turks and Germans are intertwined, despite questions about assimilation and racially tinged tension that occasionally boils over into violence. The bond is evident at places like Manolya, a Turkish restaurant in Frankfurt that is decorated with Turkish and German flags.

«Great! The best thing that could happen to us,» waiter Celalettin Dagan, who came to Germany when he was 7, said of the semifinal match-up between his two favorite teams. «If Germany advances, then we will be behind them.» By conquering Europe with its soccer prowess, Turkey is also finding an outlet for the countless frustrations it has encountered in its bid to join the European Union. For more than a year, the process has drifted badly, afflicted by European uneasiness and Turkish vexation with terms it says are unfair or onerous.

«Joyful Turks conquer Vienna!» the Turkish daily Hurriyet said after Turkey's win over Croatia in a penalty shootout in the Austrian capital. The headline recalled Ottoman campaigns in Europe, repelled at the gates of Vienna in 1529 and 1683.

By the time of the latter siege, Ottoman military prowess and economic vigor were in decline, and Europe was in the ascent. Many Turks still hark back to the glory days of the empire and blame its demise on the meddling of Western colonial powers - making their spectacular soccer run extra-sweet.

More than a dozen people were injured in fights between fans after the game against Croatia on Friday night.

Triumphant Turks started many of the rumbles.

Turkey has known soccer success, finishing third in the World Cup finals held in South Korea and Japan in 2002.

There, its opponents included Brazil, Senegal and Asian nations, but victory in Europe, the cradle of global soccer, is «more important,» said Gursoy Delioglu, a chemistry teacher in Istanbul.

Delioglu will watch the Germany showdown on a boat in the Bosporus Strait, which flows between the European and Asian sides of the former Ottoman capital. Most fans will be land-bound - and if Turkey wins, cities will reverberate with whoops, car horns, fireworks and even celebratory gunfire.

In Parliament yesterday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the national team had inspired «all people around the world who have to succeed despite difficult conditions, shortcomings and disadvantages.» Prospects for Turkey against the experienced, relentless Germans look grim, with key players out because of injuries and suspensions. But Turks place hopes in coach Fatih Terim, known as the «Emperor» because he expects total obedience, directing players like a military commander.

Terim embodies the intense nationalism in Turkey, where some feel their sovereignty is under threat from Kurdish rebels, Christian and other minorities, Western powers and accusations that Turks committed genocide against Armenia in the early 20th century.

The spectacle of euphoric crowds waving the red-and-white national flag makes liberal Turks nervous about possible intolerance among people who find an outlet in soccer, since none exists in the daily grind.

«People just think that they are better than the rest of the world,» said Burak Demircioglu, a freelance translator in the Mediterranean city of Izmir. «It's all about winning.» Turkey's success in the tournament seems to validate a widely held notion here that passion and self-belief are a better bet than cold-blooded logic and experience. Ask who will win today, and they tend not to assess player skills or tactical advantages: «It's 50/50,» Turks say.

For now, Turks see the championship through the lens of an old saying: «Showing the power of the Turk to the entire world.» Today, if defeat looms in the final minutes, some Turks might murmur another timeworn adage: «The Turk comes to his senses late.»

ANKARA (AFP) - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday called on Turks to refrain from firing celebratory shots into the air should their side defeat Germany in today's Euro 2008 semifinals.

«I hope our national team will be successful yet again and spill people onto the streets to celebrate,» Erdogan told a parliamentary group meeting of his Justice and Development Party.

«But let me warn you: It is a... grave mistake and an unacceptable situation that some of our citizens grab their guns after every victory in the misconception that they are celebrating.

«Nobody has the right to turn happiness into pain and grief. No victory is more important than human life,» he said.

His appeal came after one person was killed and around 20 others were wounded by celebratory gunshots in the aftermath of Turkey's win against Croatia last week that carried them to the European Championship semifinals for the first time.