Over in Germany, the controversy continues after one of the country's top footballers suddenly retired from the national team. Mesut Özil, whose grandparents are from Turkey, accused the German Football Association and some in the country's media of racism. For many in Germany's large Turkish community, the incident has raised larger issues of whether they can be accepted in German society. Ira Spitzer reports from Berlin.

One of the best German footballers of his generation has retired in anger, accusing Germany's football association and media of racism and blaming him for Germany's disappointing World Cup, all over this photo with Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Many in Germany's large Turkish community think Mesut Özil, whose grandparents came from Turkey, made a fair point.

"To be so heavily criticized for one picture, I do think it's racist."  

"Eleven people are on the pitch. Why was Özil 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 he owed fans an explanation. According to Özil, 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.

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN TURKISH PRESIDENT "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 TURKISH COMMUNITY IN GERMANY SPOKESMAN "We can criticize him for this photo, and in fact, we should criticize him for the photo. I think initially that was okay. 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."

IRA SPITZER BERLIN "The head of Germany's Football Association responded to Özil 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 too little, too late. Ira Spitzer, CGTN, Berlin."