Mesut Özil, the former Germany, Real Madrid, and Arsenal footballer who retired from the sport in 2023, has entered Turkish politics.
On Sunday, Özil was appointed to the central council (MKYK) of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
The appointment occurred at a party congress in Ankara, where Erdoğan was re-elected as party leader for the ninth time. The AK Party has governed Türkiye since 2002.
The MKYK, the party’s central decision-making and executive board, comprises 75 members. Özil, who is of Turkish descent and ended his club career in Istanbul, has a long-standing public association with President Erdoğan.
In 2019, Erdoğan served as Özil’s best man at his wedding to Amine Gülse, a former Miss Türkiye.
Özil’s relationship with Erdoğan has previously been a source of controversy. A 2018 photograph of Özil and Ilkay Gündoğan (another German international footballer of Turkish origin) with Erdoğan led to criticism in Germany and accusations against the Turkish state.
Following the controversy, Özil retired from the German national team, citing allegations of racism within the German Football Association (DFB). The DFB president later acknowledged a lack of support for Mesut Özil during the incident.
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