The controversy continues in Germany over the sudden retirement from the national team of one of the country’s top footballers. Mesut Ozil, whose grandparents are from Turkey, accused Germany’s football federation and parts of the country's media of racism after he was made a scapegoat for Germany’s disappointing World Cup. For many in Germany’s large Turkish community, the incident has raised larger issues of whether they can be fully accepted in German society. 

Ozil created controversy when he was photographed with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey whose relationship with Germany is a rocky one because of its detention of German citizens and journalists.

Some in the Turkish community are saying that it is racist to be so heavily criticized for one picture.

 "Eleven people are on the pitch, why was Ozil treated this way? Everyone blamed him and why?" 

Turkey’s president has been accused of leading his country down an authoritarian path and the photo was seen by many as an unnecessary provocation ahead of the World Cup. 

The head of Germany's football federation said Ozil owed fans an explanation. According to the player, the picture wasn’t a political endorsement, although critics accused the midfielder who plays professionally for the English club Arsenal of being naive. The situation has been widely followed in Turkey as well. Erdogan said that “I extend my love and respect for him because such racist treatment towards a young man who has given his all to the German national team, for his religious beliefs is unacceptable."

Among German Turks, Erdogan remains a highly polarizing figure for his treatment of political opponents, journalists and others. But the incident has reignited the debate over the challenges those with Turkish roots face being accepted as German. Cihan Sinanoglu from Turkish Community in Germany said, “We can criticize him for this photo, and in fact, we should criticize him for the photo. I think initially that was ok. But what happened after that took on a life of its own and suddenly people were questioning his loyalty. And that’s what we’re critical of.”

The head of Germany’s football association responded to Ozil by saying he wished he’d handled the situation differently but emphatically rejected the footballer's accusations of racism. For many in Germany’s Turkish community, that may be a case of too little, too late.