Turkish ministers have lauded Mesut Ozil after the Turkish-born German footballer decided to quit the Die Mannschaft over "racism and disrespect".

Justice minister Abdulhamit Gul posted the much-talked-about photograph of Ozil with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan and congratulated the Arsenal midfielder for scoring "the most beautiful goal against the virus of fascism".

"I congratulate Mesut Ozil who by leaving the national team has scored the most beautiful goal against the virus of fascism," Gul wrote on Twitter.

"We sincerely support the honourable stance that our brother Mesut Ozil has taken," Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu said.

Ibrahim Kalin, spokesperson of the Turkish president, lauded Ozil's statement and took a dig at "tolerant and multicultural" German leaders.

"An extremely accomplished footballer @MesutOzil1088 provides a perfectly reasonable explanation for meeting with President Erdoğan. But imagine the pressure under which he felt compelled to make this statement. What a pity for those who claim to be tolerant and multiculturalist! (sic)."

Ozil had taken to Twitter to announce his international retirement and lash out at the criticism he had received for posing with Erdogan during May. He expressed disappointment at the way German Football Association (DFB) handled the situation.

Notably, the 29-year-old along with teammate Ilkay Gundogan, who is also of Turkish origin, were booed during the warm-up matches of the recently-concluded Fifa World Cup as supporters were angered by their photos with Erdogan.

Ozil defended the meeting with the Turkish president and there was nothing political about it and that he was taught to never forget his roots. 

Ozil lashes out at DFB president

Mesut Ozil
File photo of Mesut Ozil during Fifa World Cup 2018Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

He also lashed out at DFB president Reinhard Grindel over the way they were being treated, especially after Germany's early exit from the World Cup. He tore into sections of German media, pointing out he was made one of the scapegoats for the disastrous performance.

"In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," Ozil had written on Twitter.

The strongly-worded statement against "racism" comes at a time when Germany is seeing the rise of far-right political parties even as the influx of immigrants into the country is increasing. More than 1.6 million immigrants entered the European country since mid 2014, according to the Reuters.