🇹🇷🇩🇪 The Turks Who Played for Germany
Germany became stronger because of Turkish talent.
But many of these players were later questioned, attacked, booed or politically pressured the moment they showed love for Türkiye.
And in several cases, one painful question remains:
Would they have played for Türkiye if the Turkish FA had acted earlier, stronger, or more clearly?
🧙♂️ Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil is the greatest number 10 of all time.
Vision, elegance, passing, intelligence, final ball, calmness - nobody made football look easier than Mesut.
Germany does not win the 2014 World Cup without him. He was one of the main reasons Germany became world champions. He was also voted Germany’s National Player of the Year 5 times.
He was Turkish. His family, his blood, his roots, his heart Turkish.
When he had to choose a national team, Türkiye was always part of the story. His father wanted him to choose Germany. Later, Özil himself hinted that he preferred to play for Türkiye instead.
Germany benefited massively.
But when Mesut showed love and respect for Türkiye, when he took a photo with President Erdoğan, when he stood up for Muslim and Turkish causes, Germany turned on him.
Booed. Insulted. Defamed. Racially attacked. Used as a scapegoat by media, fans, politicians and DFB figures.
When Mesut made Germany shine, he was the “success story.”
When he showed his Turkish side, he became a problem.
In the end, he wrote his famous statement and left the German national team on his own terms.
His words will never be forgotten:
“I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose.”
Today Mesut played in Türkiye, lives in Türkiye, and is politically and socially active there.
🚘 İlkay Gündoğan
İlkay Gündoğan is one of the best midfielders of his generation.
Champions League winner. Manchester City captain. Premier League legend. Later, captain of Germany.
But even with İlkay, the Türkiye question was always there.
He said himself that the decision was difficult. Türkiye apparently did not make him a clear offer at the time. Germany was there. So he chose Germany.
Then came the Erdoğan photo.
A photo with the president of the country of his family. For many Turks, this was simply respect toward the head of state of the homeland.
For Germany, it became a scandal.
Gündoğan was booed, insulted and pressured. He had to explain himself, justify himself and soften his words.
Then came the military salute like.
A like for a Turkish teammate. Again: pressure. Again: explanations. Again: a Turkish-origin player being forced to prove he was “loyal enough.”
And then in 2024 came another disgrace: a survey where people said they wanted more “white players” in the German national team. Some even had a problem with a captain of Turkish origin.
İlkay led Germany as captain.
And still, his Turkish roots became an issue.
After Euro 2024, he retired from the national team.
🦁 Emre Can
With Emre, it was more: Germany came early, Türkiye came too late.
He said himself that he is Turkish.
In 2019 came the military salute like.
One like for a Turkish player and immediately it became politics. Emre had to delete it, explain it, walk it back.
Emre Can shows how Turkish-origin players are always watched differently.
🧨 Kerem Demirbay
Kerem played for Germany.
Later, he regretted it. He said publicly that he had been wrongly advised and pushed, looking back, he might have chosen Türkiye instead.
In the end, he played only two matches for Germany.
⚔️ Serdar Taşçı
Germany acted earlier. Taşçı later said Germany came first otherwise he would’ve chosen Türkiye.
🧩 Suat Serdar
Suat Serdar is a newer example.
He played for Germany from the youth levels and said that Türkiye never made a direct offer.
Again the same pattern:
Germany ties him and never plays him again.
🧱 Mustafa Doğan
Later, he said that if Türkiye had truly approached him back then, he would have played for Türkiye.
That says everything.