Mario Gomez turns down Besiktas loan extension for 'political reasons'

The striker spent last season on loan in Turkey and rediscovered his scoring touch with 26 goals in 33 Super Lig appearances.

He also earned a spot at Euro 2016 with his country and had seemed intent on signing for Besiktas permanently.

However, today the 31-year-old announced via a statement on Facebook that he “will not be playing for this great club in front of you wonderful fans in this unique stadium anymore,” due to the political instability in Turkey.

Gomez, 31, joined Fiorentina from Bayern Munich in 2013 after a four-year stint with the German giants.

His contract with the Viola expires in June 2017, with the club reportedly considering terminating his contract early by mutual consent to save on wages.

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