Mesut Özil: Where They Stand on Israel

This page records specific public conduct. It does not claim knowledge of private beliefs or motives.

Documented record

May 11, 2021: On May 11, 2021, then-Fenerbahçe midfielder Mesut Özil wore a "Free Palestine" T-shirt bearing Palestinian and Turkish flags during pre-match warmups ahead of a Süper Lig match against Sivasspor, alongside several teammates, amid that month's Israel-Gaza fighting. Source 1 Source 2

Our opinion: We don't stand behind solidarity gestures that tell only half the story of a two-sided conflict.

Sources manually reviewed 2026-07-27. Corrections and later context will be appended to this page.