Erdogan says treatment of Mesut Ozil is racist and unacceptable

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the treatment of German-Turkish footballer Mesut Ozil was unacceptable after the star quit Germany's national team.

"Such a racist treatment towards a young man who has given his all to the German national team for his religious beliefs is unacceptable," Erdogan told reporters in parliament.

He said he spoke to Ozil on Monday night and described his approach as "beyond any form of admiration", adding that Ozil's critics "could not stomach" the photograph of the footballer and Erdogan that prompted criticism ahead of the World Cup.

The 29-year-old German playmaker of Turkish origin quit international duty, citing racial discrimination from German football officials over his meeting with Erdogan in May.

TRT World's Assed Baig has the latest from Berlin.

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Ozil's English club Arsenal FC showed its support by sharing his picture on the club's official Twitter account and welcoming him back from the World Cup tournament held in Russia.

Ozil on Sunday quit the German national football team, citing “racism” in the criticism of him in the side’s World Cup debacle. 

In a three-part statement on Twitter sent over the course of the day, an angry Ozil saved his bombshell for the final salvo. 

In it, the Arsenal midfielder blamed the German Football Federation (DFB) for failing to defend him against his most strident critics. 

“Arguably the issue that has frustrated me the most over the past couple of months has been the mistreatment from the DFB, and in particular the DFB President Richard Grindel,” he said.

Ozil said he had no regrets about his photograph with Erdogan that sparked questions about his loyalty to Germany’s national squad ahead of the World Cup.

Breaking his silence over the snapshot that caused outrage during the tournament, the Arsenal midfielder said in his statement that he was true to both his Turkish and German origins and insisted he did not intend to make a political statement.

“Like many people, my ancestry traces back to more than one country. Whilst I grew up in Germany, my family background has its roots firmly based in Turkey,” he said.

“I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish.”

Read his full statement in the tweets below: