02.12.2025 15:15
Member of the Central Decision and Executive Board of the AK Party and former football player Mesut Özil attended the "Library Conversations" program organized by the AK Party's Directorate of Culture and Arts Policies at the library of the AK Party Congress Center.
In the program, Özil answered questions from AK Party MKYK Member, Deputy Chairman of Culture and Arts Policies Ömer Arvas, and the youth.
Özil, who shared that he was born and raised in Germany, was asked to evaluate the critical posts of social media users in Turkey towards expatriate families recently.
Özil stated, "I know this very well because I have experienced it personally. No matter how successful you are while living in Germany, they look at you as 'you are Turkish', and unfortunately, when you come to Turkey, they see us as 'Almancı'. This is a sad situation." Emphasizing that he understands expatriates very well, Özil added, "Since I was 17-18 years old, my goal has been to live in Turkey one day, hopefully after I retire from football. God has granted that." Özil noted that Turks represent Turkey very well in Germany, saying, "We expatriates willingly come to Turkey. The important thing is not to sever the bond."
AK Party MKYK Member, Deputy Chairman of Culture and Arts Policies Arvas recounted his experiences from years ago when he went to Macedonia, saying he visited a tea house with a sign that read "Istanbul Tea House":
"They were watching our President on the screen when he was the Prime Minister. I asked the tea house owner, 'You have turned the Prime Minister's voice up to the maximum, isn't there a problem here?' Before she could answer, a guy came out from inside and said, 'No one can say anything to us. Our father is behind us.' I asked, 'Who is your father?' He said, 'Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.' I asked, 'Wasn't the name of this place Istanbul Tea House before?' He replied, 'Forget about opening a place called Istanbul Tea House before Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we were even secretly speaking Turkish here.'"
After sharing this memory, when Arvas asked, "Can we say that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has instilled a sense of confidence in Turks living abroad?" Özil replied, "Absolutely."
Özil noted that Germans look down on Turks, stating:
"Our esteemed President has instilled this courage in the Turkish community in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium; he has awakened the Turkish roots, and actually made us feel that we are a strong state. He was the one who awakened that spirit that unites us, and he has never withdrawn his support. Normally, I wouldn't see mosques in Germany. Now, when you go to Cologne, there is a huge mosque. This is thanks to our esteemed President."
"I would tell young Mesut this."
Özil, who shared memories with his foreign footballer friends, mentioned that his friends were very surprised when he kissed his mother's hand, explaining to them, "Paradise lies under the feet of mothers."
Özil shared that his foreign friends really liked his mother's stuffed cabbage and stated that menemen is one of his favorite dishes. When the youth asked, "With or without onions?" Özil replied, "With onions, of course."
In response to the question, "If you could meet young Mesut today, what would you say to him?" Özil said, "I would tell young Mesut; 'I wish you had met your wife earlier, and had become a father earlier.'"
"The most famous person in my phone is our esteemed President, the rest is a lie."
When asked, "Do you have any suggestions for footballer Arda Güler?" Özil responded:
"Playing at the biggest club in the world at such a young age and performing successfully makes me both happy and proud. We occasionally talk on the phone and text. These young people represent themselves beautifully on the biggest stages in the world. Not just Arda Güler, but Kenan Yıldız is the same. They know very well that I always support them as an older brother. I wish them success. Because making a name at such a young age and performing successfully is not easy. You are under pressure. May God protect them from injuries. I hope they become even more successful and represent their country in the best way."
In response to the question, "Who is the most famous person saved in your phone?" Özil said, "The most famous person in my phone is our esteemed President, the rest is a lie."
When asked why the youth prefer the AK Party, Özil said, "Because he keeps every promise he makes."
Özil, who stated that he has known President Erdoğan since 2010, said, "I accepted the MKYK membership for this reason, because I saw that he works tirelessly and without rest, not just for himself, but for this homeland, this nation, and future generations. He struggles a lot and gets very tired."
Özil stated, "We see our esteemed President in the morning in Istanbul, then he goes to Ankara at noon, and in the evening you see him in Africa. We need to appreciate this value very well. That’s why I love our esteemed President very much. Because the struggle he gives is for his nation and for new generations. I find this very valuable."
His favorite football player
Özil mentioned that he admired footballer Zinedine Zidane when he was younger, and now he admires Galatasaray's Nigerian star Victor Osimhen, saying, "He represents his team beautifully in Europe with the goals he scores. Of course, I hope he doesn't score against Fenerbahçe." This response caused laughter in the hall.
When asked, "Would you like to play for the Turkish National Team?" Özil replied, "It's a very sensitive issue."
Özil, who stated that he did not make many statements about this topic during his active career, said, "What happened has happened; God granted me the opportunity to win the World Cup with the German team. I have thought a lot about where I would have come and what feelings I would have experienced if I had played for the Turkish National Team. But since I cannot turn back time, what has happened has happened, and what is over is over. However, not everything happened as it was discussed. I do not want to talk about other issues either. Because my football career is over, I do not want to fight. I generally do not want to make statements on this issue. Those who love me will love me, and those who do not, will not; there is nothing to be done."
"I am establishing a football academy."
When asked, "Do you miss Fenerbahçe?" Özil replied, "Of course, I miss it."Fenerbahçe career was unfortunately very short. " he replied.
Özil, who stated that he started football because of his love for Fenerbahçe and that it played a significant role in his career, said, "I hope we become champions this season. And let's be enough already."
When asked, Özil stated that he currently has no intention of returning to football, saying, "I just became a member of the MKYK. I enjoy this field a lot. This MKYK membership also provides an opportunity; we have conversations with young people like you. But I have a project that I will establish in Ümraniye, Istanbul. The construction has started, and I hope it will be completed in a year. My goal is to support the younger generations. I am establishing a Football Academy. Our aim is to create a good system to support young people in Turkey and take them to the biggest stages in the world." he said.
"We need to be stronger to take bigger steps"
When asked about the comments of famous figures regarding the genocide in Gaza, Özil recalled President Erdoğan's words, "The world is bigger than five," and said, "When these events started in Gaza, we began to see this more clearly."
Mesut Özil stated, "If we only raise our voices, nothing changes. As you can see, unfortunately, they do not stop. We need to be stronger to take bigger steps, to unite, and to support each other. They were able to do this because they separated us and destroyed our self-confidence. As our President said, we need to raise generations in the next century that will not be able to take this step again. That’s why I hope that when we hold each other tightly, such issues will come to an end." he evaluated.
Özil stated that he made posts regarding Gaza but lost hope after a certain period, saying, "I believe that when Turkey is truly strong, no one will be able to commit this oppression in this geography anymore."
In response to the reminder that footballers who spoke out about the genocide in Gaza were excluded from their teams, Özil said, "After all, most footballers have families, children, and they are afraid. It could also be due to the end of their careers. But my belief is very different; since I believe in God, and He is the one who gives everything, I have never remained silent in my career." he expressed.
"The conversation here is proof that his political involvement in the AK Party is not a coincidence"
At the end of the program, AK Party Culture and Arts Policies Chairman Hüseyin Yayman stated, "The presence of world star Mesut Özil here is proof of an activity that we want to carry out. I think his humility, temperament, knowledge, and naivety are magnificent. The conversation here is actually proof that his political involvement in the AK Party is not a coincidence." he said.
Yayman noted that the "Library Conversations" will continue, expressing that one of the most important elements to advance Turkey is culture and art. Some AK Party members of parliament also attended the program.