Turkish ministers have praised Mesut Oezil's decision to retire from the German national football team, after he accused officials and media of racism following controversy over a photo taken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"We support the honourable stance taken by our brother Mesut Oezil with all out hearts," Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu wrote on Twitter.
Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu: "We sincerely support the honourable stance that our brother Mesut Ozil has taken.” https://t.co/hTZ0FAZ1Lr
— Arsènic™ (@MrArsenicTM) July 23, 2018
Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said Oezil had "scored his best goal against the fascist virus" by leaving the German team.
And Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also welcomed the announcement, saying "Imagine how much pressure Mr Mesut was subject to... Where were courtesy, tolerance, pluralism?"
Oezil, who is of Turkish heritage, announced his retirement in a series of tweets on Sunday. He accused the German football federation (DFB) and its president Reinhard Grindel of scapegoating him for Germany's early World Cup exit.
The 29-year-old Arsenal midfielder had attracted a storm of criticism in Germany ahead of the tournament after posing with Erdogan, with some accusing him of disloyalty to Germany.
On Sunday Oezil said he had been unfairly blamed for Germany's poor performance in Russia, saying media had singled out his Turkish ancestry and adding that Grindel was using him as a "scapegoat for his incompetence."
"In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," he wrote.