Arsenal star playmaker Mesut Ozil has issued a response to the criticism levelled at him for posing with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a photo.

The 29-year-old was under fire from the German press in the lead up to the 2018 World Cup.

Things went from bad to worse for Ozil following Germany’s disastrous performances during the 2018 World Cup.

The 2014 champions side crashed out in the group stage following defeats to Mexico and South Korea.

Ozil was targeted by the German press following the nation’s exit prompting his father’s call for the Arsenal playmaker to retire from international football.

The former Real Madrid man released a statement on his official Twitter page this morning regarding his photo with Erdogan.

Ozil stated that he would have been “disrespecting his ancestors’ roots” had he not posed for photographs with the Turkish president.

“I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish,” Ozil said on Twitter.

“It was about me representing the highest office of my family’s country.

“During my childhood, my mother taught me to always be respectful and to never forget where I came from, and these are still values I think about to this day.”

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