Erat made his 2. Bundesliga debut at 9 December 2013 against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.[4] Five days later he scored his first professional goal in a 2. Bundesliga game against Energie Cottbus.[5]
On 9 June 2016, Erat signed a two-year contract with MSV Duisburg.[6] On 9 May 2018, it was announced that he will leave Duisburg at the end of the 2017–18 season.[7]
On 28 September 2018, Erat signed with SV 19 Straelen.[8] He played five games for the club, before leaving on 9 January 2019 to join Turkish club Fatih Karagümrük.[9]
Born in Germany and of ethnic Turkish origin, Erat plays for the Azerbaijan national team internationally. He has said that "In Germany or Turkey, I had no chance of being recommended as a national player. I chose Azerbaijan because I like that I can gain international experience."[11]
^TUGRUL ERAT: HEUTE GEGEN PADERBORN, BALD GEGEN DEUTSCHLAND?, German Football Association, 2016, retrieved 29 March 2021, Der Sohn türkischer Eltern war plötzlich ein Leistungsträger... "In Deutschland oder der Türkei hatte ich keine Chance, mich als Nationalspieler zu empfehlen. Ich habe mich für Aserbaidschan entschieden, weil ich so internationale Erfahrung sammeln kann."
