CFA hits back at Ozil for supporting'East Turkistan'

Reuters

The Chinese Football Association on Saturday expressed great indignation and disappointment at the comments made by German footballer Mesut Ozil on "East Turkistan."

The Arsenal midfielder, who is of Turkish origin, posted messages on Twitter and Instagram on Friday, expressing support to the East Turkistan Islamic Movement in Xinjiang.

"‘East Turkistan' is not a national or religious issue, but separatism, terrorism and extremism, which are despised by peace-loving people all over the world," Global Times quoted a CFA official as saying.

"Ozil's comments not only hurt many Chinese fans who pay close attention to him, but also hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, which is unacceptable to us," the official said.

Arsenal, the English football club where Ozil plays, distanced itself from Ozil's comments.

"The content published is Ozil's personal opinion," the club said in a Chinese language post on Saturday on its official account on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.

"As a football club, Arsenal has always adhered to the principle of not involving itself in politics.”

But some angry fans called for a ban on airing Arsenal games featuring Ozil.

"I hope they ban Ozil's matches and business activities (in China)," wrote one Weibo user.

Another Chinese fan said she "cried last night" after reading Ozil's post.

"For over a decade, I've worn an Arsenal jersey with Ozil's number. It will never be worn again," she wrote on Weibo.

Two new documentaries, produced by China Global Television Network and released recently, expose how ‘East Turkistan' brainwashes people, including children, with extremist thoughts, inciting hatred between different ethnic groups and launching terrorist attacks.

The 31-year-old footballer sparked controversy last year when he was photographed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, raising questions about his loyalty to Germany on the eve of its 2018 World Cup campaign.

Ozil later quit the national squad, accusing German football officials of racism. Erdogan was Ozil's best man when the footballer was married in Istanbul this year.