Image source, Getty Images
- Author, Emma Sanders
- Role, BBC Sport journalist in Dortmund
Turkey fans have made their presence known in Germany for Euro 2024.
Almost three million people with Turkish roots currently live in Germany – and with Europe’s biggest football competition arriving, they are keen to make an impression.
An organised fan march, flamboyant dancing and a whole lot of noise descended on Dortmund on Saturday as Turkey prepared to face Portugal in their second match in Group F.
Drivers cruised along the roads surrounding the stadium hours before kick-off, beeping their horns as passengers stuck their heads out of the windows and waved Turkish flags.
Side mirrors were decorated in Turkey’s red and white colours, while supporters threw confetti over cars passing by.
Turkey’s fans had taken over the city.
“Good is not the right word [to describe our fans]… They are unbelievable,” one supporter, Batuhan, 25, told BBC Sport.
“We make a good atmosphere, are loud and are not normal – I cannot explain it.
“There are many Turkish people who are living in Germany since many years ago. We helped to build this country too.”
‘Germany would explode if Turkey won’
Turkey’s start to Euro 2024 could not have gone any better when they recorded a 3-1 win over Georgia in Dortmund.
The city has become a hub for supporters like Batuhan for the past week, and they celebrated wildly across the entire country following that victory.
The familiar sound of car horns beeping and cheers rang out in the streets until late in the evening in several cities in Germany, including Stuttgart, Hamburg and Dortmund itself.
Batuhan lives in Krefeld, 45 miles (70km) west of Dortmund, and was one of the Turkey supporters who led the latest fan march, which set off at 12:30 BST on Saturday to march to Westfalenstadion.
He and his two friends met up with the core of Turkey’s fanbase – including the drummer and conductor of their chanting – on the steps opposite Dortmund’s Hauptbahnhof station.
“We have songs written by fans and also by Turkish singers. I don’t know how they came [about] but we love them,” said Batuhan.
“We don’t do these marches especially for every game, but for the tournaments and the big games we do.”
Batuhan helped lead hundreds of supporters through Dortmund’s city centre, while Portugal fans followed behind, chanting their own songs and waving a giant flag among the trees.
The march took over an hour as they followed a green artificial grass carpet leading up to the stadium, stopping several times to pose for photos and play their drums in front of TV cameras from around the world.
They passed cars on the way whose drivers beeped their horns loudly at the sight of Turkey colours, and the crowd jeered when they spotted Portuguese supporters.
By the time they arrived at Westfalenstadion, every resident of Dortmund must have heard them.
If this is the atmosphere created by Turkey fans before and after group stage matches, imagine what it would mean to win the whole tournament.
And in Germany of all places…
“If Turkey win just one more game, it would be amazing noise. If we win the whole tournament, I think Germany would explode,” said Batuhan.
“Everywhere would be full of Turkish fans. They would be everywhere in the streets. It will not be easy – but we can hope.”