Naki repeatedly targeted over Alevi-Kurdish origin‘They threatened me that this was the first warning’

The German-Turkish striker Deniz Naki says he is leaving his Turkish club Genclerbirligi after an alleged racist attack.

Hurriyet Daily News reported that the player, who had been repeatedly targeted over his Alevi-Kurdish origin, and who recently used social media to support Kurds fighting Islamic State in Kobane, was attacked in Ankara, suffering minor injuries.

Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) Alevi Kurdish football player Deniz Naki was attacked in Ankara after expressed support for #Kobane & criticized ISIS pic.twitter.com/Uv0OWcFZ6d

Naki said: “It happened on Sunday. I wanted to get something for dinner when I was accosted by three people on a side-street. They threatened me that this was the first warning, the club did not need anyone like me and I should go away.”

Naki said he feared for his safety in Ankara and would not see out his contract, which ends in 2016. He told the German daily Bild: “This time I could defend myself – it was only fists – but eventually it’ll be a knife. I no longer feel safe there.”