Deniz Naki: Shots fired at Kurdish footballer's car in Germany Published duration 8 January 2018

image copyright Getty Images image caption Deniz Naki played for Bundesliga team SC Paderborn in 2013

A German-Kurdish footballer and well-known critic of the Turkish government has survived a suspected murder attempt while driving in western Germany.

At least two bullets fired from a passing car hit Deniz Naki's car on a motorway near Düren on Sunday night, German media say. He was not injured.

"I immediately ducked and then rolled right to the hard shoulder," he told Die Welt newspaper.

Naki plays for Amed SK in Turkey and previously played for German clubs.

Last April a Turkish judge gave Naki a suspended jail sentence of 18 months for "spreading terrorist propaganda for the PKK", the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party.

In 2016 the Turkish Football Federation gave him a 12-match ban for "ideological propaganda" linked to the Kurdish conflict.

But there is no evidence that the shooting was directly linked to the Turkish state, and Turkey has not commented on it.

Police are investigating and treating the case as a murder attempt.

Read more on Turkish-Kurdish tensions:

Naki grew up in Düren and played for the German clubs FC St. Pauli and SC Paderborn.

He said he believed it to be a politically motivated attack, possibly by the Turkish MIT secret service.

"I assume it was a MIT agent or somebody else who doesn't like my politics," he said.

He had not received specific threats recently, he said, "but I'm attacked on social media constantly".

image copyright Deniz Naki image caption Naki's "Dersim 62" tattoo pays homage to Tunceli in mainly Kurdish eastern Turkey

Turkish forces have been battling the PKK in eastern Turkey since a ceasefire collapsed in July 2015. Turkey, the EU and US treat the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

Ethnic Turkish and Kurdish critics of the Turkish government living in Germany accuse Ankara of intimidating opponents at home and abroad. Germany has Europe's largest Turkish diaspora - an estimated three million.

"I fear Erdogan's hit squads will carry on until every intimidated person shuts up," she said. "This seriously menacing situation must not be played down any longer."

Related Topics Kurds

Germany

Turkey