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Hakan Sukur is of Albanian descent, while he has been in exile in the United States for several years.
Sukur says his father is in prison and his assets in Turkey have been confiscated, prompting him to flee desperately in the US, forcing him to use whatever means he can to make a living for his family.
“I work an Uber Taxi and I sell books. I've started working,” he told to a German magazine.
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| Hakan Sukur and his wife |
Hakan Sukur was part of many major European football teams as he became a legend at the Turkish Football National Team.
He was the captain of the Turkish team that ranked third place in the FIFA 2002 world Cup in South Korea and Japan. Hakan Şükür scored the fastest goal in World Cup finals history with a low left-footed shot past the goalkeeper from the edge of the penalty box after 11 seconds in the match against South Korea.
He just ended his football career at the age of 36 in 2008, then went into politics where he was elected deputy. He represented the religious and conservative party of AKP, the ruling party today.
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| Hakan Sukur in the Turkish Parliament |
But suddenly a photo of him with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fetullah Gulen went out of the focus and everything went wrong for the former footballer.
He was forced to flee Turkey where he faced charges of insulting the President and rebelling against the Government. The Guardian wrote last year that the former Turkey national footballer will be sentenced to life in prison if he returns.
An arrest warrant was issued for the former footballer and former MP in August 2016, when a coup d'etat took place in Turkey and anyone known to be a 'sympathizer' of Gulen has been arrested. His father, who was caught in a mosque in Adapazari and charged with financial support for the coup, was also arrested by the country's authorities. Their possessions were confiscated.
Hakan Sukur is also remembered for his statement: "I am Albanian, as such I am not a Turk" - a statement that was praised as being against the prevailing nationalism.