Ozil, 36, was elected Sunday to the central decision and executive committee of the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, during a party congress in Ankara.
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The former Real Madrid and Arsenal footballer joins a list of celebrities recruited by Erdogan as he seeks to bolster his party’s appeal. Former Aston Villa defender Alpay Ozalan also serves as an AKP lawmaker.
A German-born son of Turkish immigrants, Ozil was once seen as a symbol of Germany’s multicultural success story. But his relationship with the country soured after he posed for a photograph with Erdogan in 2018, triggering a political backlash amid strained Turkish-German relations.
Shortly afterward, he retired from international football, complaining of racist treatment from the German federation, fans and the media.
Ozil married a former Turkish beauty queen in Istanbul in 2019, with Erdogan being a witness in the ceremony. He built a villa in Istanbul’s Uskudar district, where Erdogan also has a home. He continued his playing career with Turkish teams and retired completely from football in 2023.
First Published: Feb 24, 2025 4:56 PM IST
