Euro 2024: Turkey bids farewell to Euros following defeat by the Netherlands

The Turkish team is heading home from the Euro 2024 football championships following a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat at the hands of the Netherlands who are now heading to the semi-finals.

The streets of Istanbul emptied hours before the game started, with supporters , gathering at home and in coffee shops in anticipation of the match, with a last four meeting with England, who earlier beat Switzerland on penalties, on Wednesday up for grabs.

In the lead-up to the game on Saturday, there was growing excitement in the country about making it to the final. Now that dream has ended.

It wasn't until the 35th minute that one of the rising stars of the Turkish football team, Arda Guler, took a corner kick, giving his teammate Samet Akaydin the opportunity to head the ball into the net.

By half-time the Netherlands would probably have been relieved for a break with Turkey on top in both attack and defence, with precious few chances afforded to the Dutch.

But the Dutch lifted themselves in the second half, pressing Turkey deeper, and the centre-back Stefan de Vrij scored to level the match on the 71st minute. 

Only a few minutes later the Dutch took the lead when the forward Cody Gakpo scored leaving the Turkish side shocked by the quick turnaround in fortunes. 

Turkey had previously reached the quarter-finals of the European Football Championship in 2000 and the semi-finals in 2008.

In the lead up the game the Turkish foreign ministry and its counterpart exchanged cordial messages of support.

"Whether you call it “futbol” or “voetbal”, it is the same game that fosters friendship," said the Turkish foreign ministry in a post on X. "On the centenary of our Friendship Treaty, we hope that tonight’s game will reflect the good bonds of friendship between the Turkish and the Dutch peoples just as our warm messages do," it added.

The Dutch foreign ministry responded in a post on X "From the Republic of Türkiye to The Netherlands, we are sure many fans will be watching the game today. Sport can inspire, bridge differences and change the world. Our shared passion for sport brings Dutch and Turkish people closer together."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also travelled to Berlin arriving for the game shortly before kick-off. He plans to leave Berlin's Olympic Stadium to return to Turkey the same evening.

No further appointments in Germany have so far been announced.

Controversy before the game

Turkey was playing without Merih Demiral, who was given a two-match ban by the UEFA disciplinary board due to his goal celebration with the "grey wolf sign" in the Austria match, as well as Ismail Yüksek and Orkun Kökçü, who were suspended due to yellow cards and also could not play in this match.

Turkey have now won four of their five games during the UEFA Euro 2024, despite the trio of suspensions for this evening’s clash. Only once, in 2008, have they reached the Euros semi-finals

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Berlin on Saturday to watch the Uefa Euro 2024 quarter-finals match between Turkey and the Netherlands. 

Erdogan's decision to attend the match follows the cancellation of a planned trip to Azerbaijan, where he was set to attend the Organisation of Turkic States summit. Instead, his vice president will attend in his place.