Two stars of German football with Turkish roots have said they want to “clear up any misunderstandings” after being criticised over an apparent show of support for President Erdogan. Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündogan, both Premier League players, posed for photographs on Saturday with President Steinmeier of Germany to dispel claims of divided loyalties. A week earlier in London they had presented Mr Erdogan with signed shirts. Gündogan’s bore the message: “With great respect for my president.”Both players were born in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany, and are part of the 27-man provisional squad named for the World Cup in Russia next month. The players met President Steinmeier of Germany in an attempt to counter accusations of split loyalties Guido Bergmann/EPAThe integration of immigrants is a hot political topic in Germany after the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers since 2015…

Source: The Times May 20, 2018 23:01 UTC