How does Mesut Ozil know President Erdogan?
Ozil's friendship with President Erdogan stretches back to 2010, which is when the pair first met.
On that occasion, in Berlin, Erdogan - then Prime Minister of Turkey - was a guest at a World Cup qualification match between Turkey and Germany, which he watched alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Germany won 3-0 and, interestingly, Ozil, who scored his team's second goal, was booed during the game by sections of the Turkish support.
His goal celebration was notably sedate and he later revealed that the reason was a desire to show respect for his ancestral homeland, being a third-generation Turk.
The midfielder, who was then 21 years old, explained: "Of course I was really happy. It was fantastic for me to score in this match. But I made the spontaneous decision not to overdo the celebrations."
Since that first encounter in 2010, Ozil says that he has crossed paths with Erdogan on a number of occasions all over the world.
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