Soccer Star Mesut Özil Joins Leadership of Erdogan’s Ruling Party in Turkey

Former German national team midfielder and World Cup winner, Mesut Özil, has entered the political arena by joining the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), Bloomberg reports.

Özil, 36, was elected to the central decision and executive committee of the AKP during a party congress held in Ankara on Sunday.

The former Real Madrid and Arsenal player joins a number of public figures who have been recruited by Erdogan to strengthen the AKP’s appeal. Alpay Özalan, a former Aston Villa defender, is also an AKP lawmaker.

Born in Germany to Turkish immigrants, Özil was previously seen as a symbol of Germany’s multicultural integration. However, his relationship with the country deteriorated after he posed for a photograph with Erdoğan in 2018, leading to political controversy amidst strained relations between Turkey and Germany.

Following the incident, Özil retired from international football, citing racist treatment from the German federation, fans, and media.

In 2019, Özil married a former Turkish beauty queen in Istanbul, with Erdogan acting as a witness at the ceremony. He established a residence in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, where Erdogan also resides. Özil continued his professional football career with Turkish teams before retiring from the sport entirely in 2023.