Erdogan defends footballer Ozil ahead of Germany trip

Ilkay Gündogan and Mesut Ozil, along with Everton's Cenk Tosun, pose with the Turkish president

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended Mesut Ozil, a German footballer with Turkish roots who has faced criticism for posing in photos with Turkey's leader.

Ozil, 29, quit international football in July, citing "racism and disrespect" towards him in Germany over the photos.

But President Erdogan said: "Should we lynch a German player who plays in our country when he takes a photo with Frau Merkel [the German chancellor]?"

Mr Erdogan will visit Germany this week to try to mend strained bilateral ties.

In March 2017, Mr Erdogan compared German officials to Nazis. The insult came after German authorities cancelled rallies he had hoped would woo ethnic Turkish voters in Germany ahead of a key referendum which he won.

Berlin has also criticised Mr Erdogan over his crackdown on political opponents following a coup attempt in Turkey in 2016.

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What did President Erdogan say?

In an interview with Germany's Funke Mediengruppe, the Turkish leader said Ozil had "nothing to regret".

He said the Arsenal midfielder - as well as Manchester City's Ilkay Gündogan, who also posed for the photos with the Turkish president in May - "feel at home in both countries - the country they were born in and the country their parents come from".

And referring to Ozil's decision to quit international football, Mr Erdogan said: "He didn't leave the national team for no reason. Anyone confronting these kinds of racist attacks and insults would have had the same reaction."

During the meeting with Mr Erdogan in London, at which Everton's Turkey international Cenk Tosun was also present, Ozil and Gündogan gave the president signed football shirts.

The pictures were then released by Turkey's governing AK Party ahead of Turkey's presidential elections in June, which Mr Erdogan won outright.

Some German politicians said it seemed that the two footballers were endorsing Mr Erdogan, which they denied.

How did Ozil explain his decision to quit internationals?

He said he had received hate mail and threats and was being blamed for Germany's disappointing World Cup in Russia this summer.

"I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," Ozil said.

Mesut Ozil (left) and Per Mertesacker celebrate after winning the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina in Brazil

The third-generation Turkish-German was born in Gelsenkirchen and was a key member of his country's 2014 World Cup-winning side.

He has 92 caps and fans have voted him the national team's player of the year five times since 2011.

But Ozil said his recent treatment had made him "no longer want to wear the German national team shirt".

In a lengthy statement posted on social media, he said he did not feel accepted in German society despite paying taxes, donating to good causes there and being a World Cup winner.