Former German international football player Mesut Özil was married in Istanbul on Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as his best man.
Mr. Özil, 30, who has Turkish family roots, sparked controversy last year when he was photographed with Mr. Erdoğan, raising questions about the footballer’s loyalty to Germany on the eve of their disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign.
Ceremony in Bosphorus
Mr. Erdoğan arrived in the early evening for Friday’s ceremony at a luxury hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus to see the former Arsenal midfielder marry his fiancée, former Miss Turkey Amine Gülşe.
A smiling Mr. Erdoğan and his wife Emine were seen standing next to the young couple as their marriage was formalised. Mr. Özil announced in March that he had asked Mr. Erdoğan to be his best man.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Chief of Staff was part of a chorus of criticism of the invitation. Helge Braun, told the Bild newspaper then that it “makes one sad” that Mr. Özil would make a such a move despite having already been sharply criticised by the German public over his first meeting with Mr. Erdoğan.
Mr. Özil has dated Ms. Gülşe since 2017 and the couple announced their engagement in June 2018.
Mr. Erdoğan often attends marriages in Turkey of celebrities, whom he seeks out during election campaigns.
