Ozil quits National team claiming racism after controversy following Erdogan’s photo

Arsenal football player Mesut Ozil has decided he will no longer be playing with the German national team.

The past couple of weeks have given me time to reflect, and time to think over the events of the last few months. Consequently, I want to share my thoughts and feelings about what has happened. pic.twitter.com/WpWrlHxx74

— Mesut Özil (@M10) July 22, 2018

Ozil said he would not stand the criticism and “racist” commentary he received from German media and the German Football Association (DFB) because of the picture he took with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May at a London event.“I’m aware that the picture of us caused a huge response in the German media, and whilst some people may accuse me of lying or being deceitful, the picture we took had no political intentions.”The midfielder faced a barrage of criticism in Germany for having his photograph taken with the Turkish president.Despite the picture being taken in the run up to a presidential election in Turkey, Ozil emphasised that his meeting with Erdogan “wasn’t about politics or elections, it was about me respecting the highest office of my family’s country.”