Former Germany international Mesut Özil said he would not cut short his Fenerbahçe deal despite not having featured for the Turkish side since March.

Fenerbahçe suspended Özil in March, the club said in a statement, without disclosing the reason behind their decision but local media reported he was involved in a verbal altercation with coach Ismail Kartal.

"I had completed my career goal by signing a 3-1/2-year contract with Fenerbahçe, my childhood love, without even getting paid for the first 6 months," Özil said on Twitter on Tuesday.

"I repeat with emphasis: I will not end my career in a team other than Fenerbahçe. For the duration of my contract, my only goal is to sweat our... jersey. This decision is very clear and final.

"If our management takes a decision about me, I will only respect this attitude. I will work hard and always keep myself ready. As I always say, the main thing is Fenerbahçe."

Özil joined Fenerbahçe from Arsenal in January 2021 on a 3-1/2 year deal, after he fell out of favor at the London club and was not included in their Premier League or Europa League squads.

World Cup-winner Özil played a crucial role under Arsene Wenger in ending Arsenal's trophy drought, winning the FA Cup in his first season, but was then marginalized under Wenger's replacement Unai Emery and by Mikel Arteta.