About 1.2 million people in Germany with a Turkish background are eligible to vote in the election. Diplomatic relations between Germany and Turkey were already frayed over the one-year imprisonment of recently released German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel. Some journalists and rightwing politicians had called for Özil and Gündoğan to be kicked out of the national side. Sebastian Münzenmaier, an MP for the rightwing nationalist Alternative für Deutschland, said unless the two players stopped “flattering” the Turkish president, “the Turkish national side can look forward to two new players”. Football players cannot switch national teams after they have represented one country at senior level.

Source: The Guardian May 16, 2018 16:42 UTC