Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan has announced his retirement from international duty with Turkey after being accused of assaulting a journalist.

Reports emerged on Tuesday afternoon suggesting that the 30-year-old had grabbed the reporter by the throat on the team plane, having taken issue with an article published last year regarding a pay dispute.

Turan was kicked out of Turkey's training camp ahead of next week's World Cup qualifier against Kosovo and has since taken the decision to call time on his international career, four caps short of a century.

"I think the time has come," BBC Sport quotes him as saying. "I am ending my career with the national team. I really love my country. I really love my flag. I have always said if that's what you want, I will retire."

Turan's agent recently played down talk that he could be on his way out of Barcelona during the summer, with Arsenal said to be among those interested in the ex-Atletico Madrid ace.