As for the news stories...

I doubt that I agree with everything Mesut Ozil says, especially as he count Erdogan amongst his closest friends. But, I do defend his right to express his views the same as any other individual living in a country that allows freedom of speech (with all the caveats, legal and moral, that come with that freedom). So if he wants to make a criticism about something that even the UN has condemned then who is to say that he cannot.

His employers are interested in money because his employers are a business. So when Ozil says something that upsets a client that pays money that then in theory flows through and pays Ozil himself it makes sense that they might try to distance themselves from Ozil and his private views and comments.

Leaving aside the whole 'issue' itself. Then it comes down to business. So, if Ozil is an employee of the company and he is constrained by his contract about what he says then maybe the club should be sanctioning him, and not simply distancing itself, because he has impacted the business of which he relies upon to pay his wages.

If the contract between employer and employee does not cover this then maybe it should.

That's one way of looking at it.

Another way is to ask whether a business has morals or is by its nature amoral. If a business has morals or is expected by people paying it money to adopt a moralistic outlook then perhaps what should have happened is that the business simply said absolutely nothing about the views shared by Ozil and left it at that. Unless of course the business gets more money from those that wish it to be amoral and simply follow the money in which case it might be the case that the business should sanction, maybe severely, the employee that has damaged its reputation even where that reputation is an amoral one. If indeed you were to determine that the 'issue' is amoral or abhorrent of even some form of ethnic cleansing or ethnic brainwashing (if that's different).

Then that presents us with a huge dilemma. If business sits on the fence, albeit leaning somewhat towards the opposing side to its own employee, about things like this comment then what can we expect about bigger issues such as green issues. That'll be rhetorical as I think everybody knows the answer to that anyway.

I have not bothered to read the many, probably tens of thousands by now, responses Ozil will have received in regard of his comments but I would suspect that some at least will be noting double standards regarding how his friend Erdogan has been treating Kurds. But heh, that's another matter entirely. Not to mention if he made a similar comment about the unfair treatment of Kurds bu Turkey and he did it inside Turkey then he would not just be getting some comments on social media he would likely be battered and bruised in a police cell for some, as yet, uncertain criminal offence and resisting arrest afterwards.

Fortunately we are still permitted to suggest such things in this country although taking such things for granted is a very dangerous thing to do.

Also, on an unrelated matter...

I find it a little obscene that a spoilt rich used car salesman's daughter is a little upset that £50m of jewellery has been stolen from her bloated London palace when there are ten of thousands of people in the UK that are tonight only having a meal due to food banks and the kindness of complete strangers. To be honest, I really do not care about her loss. I neither feel sorry for her nor pity nor do I feel that she deserved it... I simply do not care and I really wish the news did not report it as its nothing more than a big insurance claim because of a home break in.

As for why it appears as a story on the national news outlets. Well, I suspect there is a little bit of cynicism or schadenfreude at work here. Who cares, it is not real life is it!