Mesut Özil Joins Turkish politics, becomes member of ruling party

Former German football star Mesut Özil has officially entered politics by joining Turkey's ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to an official statement from the party, the 37-year-old ex-footballer has been elected as a member of the AKP's Central Council.

Özil, who played for top clubs like Real Madrid and Arsenal, had previously shown political alignment with President Erdoğan by openly supporting him during elections. This move hinted at his possible future in Turkish politics, which has now been confirmed.

Born on October 15, 1988, in a refugee camp in West Germany, Özil comes from a Turkish-origin family. Before his football career took off, his father worked as a blacksmith and later sold poultry products to earn a living.

Özil made his international debut for Germany in a friendly match against Norway in February 2009. He went on to win the German Player of the Year award four times (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015). Over his international career, he played 92 matches for Germany, scoring 30 goals.

In 2018, the star player announced his retirement from international football, expressing disappointment with the German Football Association's treatment of him.