Former Bundesliga star Deniz Naki could go to jail for ‘terrorist propaganda’ and social media misconduct
Ex-St Pauli and Paderborn midfielder reportedly "incited hatred and hostility towards a group" in Turkey
A FORMER Bundesliga player faces jail in Turkey for spreading 'terrorist propaganda' online.
Deniz Naki, 27, is a former playmaker with German sides St Pauli and Paderborn - and also had an unsuccessful trial with Nottingham Forest.
According to , the midfielder is set to appear in court this week to answer charges of serious social media misconduct.
Turkish news source Dogan released a statement that read: "[Naki] incited hatred and hostility towards a group by another group who bore different characteristics due to its region, to undermine the region’s locals’ trust in the Turkish Republic and overtly make propaganda for the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) terror organization."
Naki has denied any wrongdoing and stated that the purpose of his posts was to spread a message of peace.
It is believed that Naki is being politically targeted because he is of Kurdish descent and the country's crackdown on support for the PKK -which the government considers a terrorist group and not a political party.
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The midfielder began his career at Bayer Leverkusen, where he was a regular in the second team, before a three-year stint with St Pauli and a spell at Paderborn.
He now plays for Amed S.K in the Turkish second division.
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