Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin has retired from Turkish national team duty.
The former Liverpool player said despite growing up in Germany he has "always worn Turkey deep in his heart" and he is thankful to have fulfilled his dream of wearing the crescent and the star on his jersey.
He added: "I wore the Turkey jersey nearly 100 times in various age groups, and every single step I made in this jersey made me proud."
With 52 caps accumulated over 12 years, the midfielder says it's now time for the next generation to step up.