Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil got married to the love of his life Amine Gulse in Istanbul, Turkey on Friday (07.06.19) with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as his best man.
The 30-year-old Ozil, who has Turkish family roots, sparked controversy last year when he was photographed with Erdogan, raising questions about the footballer’s loyalty to Germany on the eve of their disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign.
The Turkish leader arrived in the early evening for Friday’s ceremony at a luxury hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus to see the Arsenal midfielder marry his fiancee, former Miss Turkey Amine Gulse.
A smiling Erdogan and his wife Amine were seen standing next to the young couple as their marriage was formalized. The Football star announced in March 2019 that he had asked Erdogan to be his best man. Ozil has dated Gulse since 2017 and the couple announced their engagement in June 2018.
After 92 appearances for Germany, including a key role in the 2014 World Cup victory, Ozil suddenly quit the national squad last July, accusing German football officials of racism.
In the wake of the World Cup fiasco, Ozil announced his resignation from the national squad, saying: ‘I am German when we win, an immigrant when we lose’.
According to Daily Mail, Erdogan often attends marriages in Turkey of celebrities, whom he particularly seeks out during election campaigns.
His presence at Ozil’s marriage comes ahead of a mayoral election in Istanbul on June 23, required after the original voting in March was annulled following a narrow victory for the main opposition Republican People’s Party.
Ozil was seen walking with his new wife alongside a parade of beating drums and flares. The Gunners star also showed off his dance moves as he and his partner jiggled to the music.
Ozil has shown his charitable side this week after making an incredible pledge to help out children in need, all as part of his wedding celebrations.
The Arsenal player issued a statement regarding what guests could expect to bring to his wedding as a gift. As is common practice wedding goers would bring something nice for the bride and groom, but Ozil has chosen to use his privileged position for the greater good.
Taking to social media, Ozil issued a statement in which he called for guests to join him and Gulse in donating money for those in need.
Ozil and Gulse are expected to set off on honeymoon, and finally enjoy some downtime following an arduous season. Ozil was part of the Arsenal side who faced rivals in Chelsea in the Europa League final last month but fell to a disappointing 4-1 defeat in Baku.