Football star Mesut Özil, a former German national team player from Turkey, entered politics. He joined the ruling party "Justice and Development" in Turkey, the country of his parents' origin. Özil, who became a symbol of cultural diversity in Germany, decisively turned down the national team and criticized the leadership of the German Football Federation for racism. "I’m German when we win, but I’m an immigrant when we lose," he stated.
At the end of 2022, Özil concluded his career at the football club "Fenerbahçe" in Istanbul and became a member of the party council in the capital of Turkey, Ankara. He was one of 39 new members of the Central Committee for the Adoption of Decisions and the Implementing Body.
