June 16, 2018•Update: June 18, 2018
By Erbil Basay and Muhittin Sandikci
BERLIN/ANKARA
The car of German footballer of Turkish descent Ilkay Gundogan was vandalized in German city of Cologne, local police reported on Saturday.
The Cologne police confirmed that Gundogan filed a complaint against unknown persons after his car was vandalized during a friendly game on June 7 against Saudi Arabia.
The windows of his car, which was parked in front of a hotel in Cologne, were broken late at night, police said.
Local media linked the attack on Manchester City footballer to his recent meeting with the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in London.
Gundogan and another German player with Turkish roots Mesut Ozil met with Erdogan while he was in London in mid-May. The duo gifted their autographed jerseys to Erdogan.
In addition, the German footballers also had their photos taken with the Turkish President.
On the same day, May 14, German Football Federation (DFB) President Reinhard Grindel slammed the meeting, alleging that Ozil and Gundogan were exploited by Erdogan's election campaign.
Gundogan and Ozil were criticized in German media for meeting Erdogan.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak on Saturday expressed his support for the football player.
"(The attack was for) provocative purpose, a sportsman must be evaluated by his play and morality,” he said.
Bak said that such incidents only damages the fair-play spirit of sports, adding that Gundogan and Ozil would respond to the attackers and critics with their performance at the World Cup in Russia.
