Former Turkey striker Hakan Sukur drives an Uber in the US after being exiled by president Erdogan (photos)

Turkey football legend Hakan Sukur has opened up on the bizarre path his life has taken since retiring from the sport, taking him from a political 'exile' to running a cafe and driving for Uber in the United States.


The former striker made a strong name for himself in European football, playing for the likes of Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Parma before moving to English shores and undertaking a spell with Blackburn Rovers.

But it was when Sukur retired from the game and moved into politics in his homeland that things started to get a little messy.
The 48-year-old, who scored 51 goals in 112 appearances for the Turkish national team, was elected to parliament but experienced a bitter and well publicised falling out with president of Turkey Recep Erdogan in 2011.

Speaking in a recent interview with German publication Welt am Sonntag, Sukur revealed how life became increasingly difficult for him after he was accused of participating in a failed coup.

'I have nothing left, Erdogan took everything: my right to liberty, freedom of expression and right to work,' said Sukur.
'Nobody seems able to explain what my role in this coup was supposed to be. I never did anything illegal, I am not a traitor or a terrorist.

'I might be an enemy of this government, but not the state or the Turkish nation. I love my country. After the split with Erdogan, I started to receive threats. My wife's shop was attacked, my children were harassed, my father put in prison and all my assets confiscated.
So I moved to the United States, initially running a cafe in California, but strange people kept coming into the bar. Now I drive for Uber and I sell books..