Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has extended an invitation for his upcoming wedding to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who plans to attend.

Accompanied by his fiancee, Amine Gulse, Ozil met with Erdogan at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul last week to invite the leader in person.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) disclosed the news via their official Twitter page, where they uploaded a photo from the meeting. The tweet goes onto state that Erdogan has accepted Ozil’s invitation.

Ozil, who was born in Germany but is of Turkish descent and has family in country, courted controversy last year after he was photographed alongside Erdogan before the World Cup.

He ended up retiring from the Germany national team after receiving xenophobic abuse from the media citing “racism and disrespect” among the reasons behind his decision.

In a strongly worded statement announcing his decision to quit international football following Germany’s group stage exit from the World Cup, Ozil wrote that he would “no longer stand for being a scapegoat.”

And following his decision to invite Erdogan to his wedding, Ozil has again attracted criticism in Germany.

“I think it’s inappropriate,” German politician Cem Ozdemir said

The Arsenal playmaker got engaged to Gulse in January. The date of the wedding is yet to be disclosed.

Gulse, a former Miss World Turkey, is a well-known actress in her country.

Meanwhile , Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro will miss the upcoming Miami Open because of a knee injury, with a source close to the player telling Reuters he may have to undergo surgery.

Del Potro, ranked fifth in the world, was unable to defend his BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells this week as he underwent treatment on the injured right knee.

It has not recovered sufficiently to allow him to play in Miami, which begins next week.