Turk Scout

🇹🇷🇦🇲🇳🇱 Aras Özbiliz 🗣️ “I was born in Türkiye. I had to choose between Armenia and the Netherlands. If my decision had been about money, I would have chosen the Netherlands.” 🇹🇷 On Türkiye, Istanbul and his move to Beşiktaş 🗣️ “People are trying to create a political controversy around me. I have no hostility towards anyone. I even speak Turkish with my family at home. I have never had any problems in my career because of my ethnicity or nationality. I received an incredibly warm welcome in Istanbul. I want everyone to understand that I am a footballer, not a politician. When it comes to football, there is no problem. I am very happy to be here. My father told me many wonderful things about Beşiktaş. He told me that Beşiktaş supporters are among the most loyal, passionate and devoted fans. I received a very warm welcome on social media. I hope to build a strong connection with the supporters and I will give everything I have. I left Istanbul when I was only one and a half years old, but I still have family living here. We have always kept in touch and visited regularly.” 🇹🇷 On living in Istanbul following a terrorist attack 🗣️ “Such an attack could have happened in Yerevan or Moscow as well. It could happen anywhere. The important thing is not to give in to terrorism. I am happy in Istanbul. It is a beautiful city.” 🇦🇲 On the Armenian Football Federation (2023) 🗣️ “People from all around the world congratulated me for what I contributed to Armenian football, but I heard nothing from the federation. There is a problem throughout Armenia: when you disagree with someone, they immediately think you are against them. The federation is putting pressure on people. They call my close friends and tell them that if they continue supporting Aras, they will have personal problems.” 🇦🇲 On the leadership of Armenian football following the 6-1 defeat to Georgia in 2025 🗣️ “A year and three months ago, I entered the election to become president of Armenia’s football federation, knowing I barely had a chance. I have remained silent all this time, but I will not stay silent any longer because you are ruining the football. You said I lacked management experience, yet you are the ones failing at management. Everyone can see that you do not understand football. But you do not understand how to run football either. You have failed in management, organisation, legal matters, finances and communication. The worst part is that people are losing hope and faith. You can win or lose in football, but this defeat is the consequence of everything that has been happening in Armenian football for years. It is time to recognise the problems and make changes.” 🇦🇲 On Armenian FA president Armen Melikbekyan seeking a position on UEFA’s Executive Committee (March 2025) 🗣️ “Armenian football is in a deep crisis. After the heavy defeat against Georgia, the federation’s leadership should have accepted responsibility and offered real solutions. Instead, it continues avoiding criticism and distracting the public, just as it has done for years. Youth development is not receiving enough attention. The national team is in a hopeless situation. Rather than addressing these problems, the federation president is concentrating on securing a position on UEFA’s Executive Committee. Someone who has failed to improve football in Armenia now wants to represent the country in European football. Leadership is judged by results. When there are no results, resignation is the only honourable decision. Trying to secure a UEFA position after failing at home is not progress. It is hypocrisy. Football is not about political positions. It is about results, development and opportunities for our young players.”

🇹🇷🇧🇪🇸🇾 Sanharib Malki (Sanharib Büyüksal) 🗣️“My mother is from Mardin, Türkiye. After living in Istanbul for another five or six years, my parents returned to Qamishli, where I was born. My mother’s side of the family is Turkish. A large part of my family lives in Türkiye. Becoming a Turkish citizen makes me happy. I chose the surname Büyüksal because it was my mother’s maiden name. All my relatives on her side are proud that I carry their surname. When I transferred to Kasımpaşa, my parents decided to return to Istanbul, the city where they first met. They now live in Bakırköy, so I can see them regularly. When I first arrived in Türkiye, I couldn’t speak Turkish. My father helped me a lot. I’ve been taking lessons because I want to improve my Turkish and eventually give interviews in Turkish.” 🇧🇪 Sanharib Malki on why he didn’t represent Belgium 🗣️ “In the 2007/08 season, I finished as the second-highest goalscorer in Belgium. I was invited to Belgium’s national team training camp in Malta, alongside players like Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel and Jan Vertonghen. Belgium needed strikers at the time. I was 24 years old. I was one of the top scorers in Belgium, yet they didn’t have confidence in me. I even had an offer from Syria. I was getting older and Syria had made me an offer. So I chose Syria.” 🇸🇾 Sanharib Malki criticising conditions in Syria 🗣️ “When I agreed to play for Syria, they promised to help me postpone my military service. But when I arrived, they didn’t keep that promise. Playing football in Syria is completely different from playing in Europe. When you see a problem, you can’t simply speak up about it. Certain things don’t change easily. It’s an environment that lacks professionalism. There are financial problems, problems with infrastructure and very difficult conditions. Many players have left the country. Those who can leave go abroad to continue their careers. Whenever there’s an explosion, the players immediately reach for their phones to check whether their families are safe. Everyone is afraid of receiving terrible news.” 🇸🇾 Sanharib Malki speaking about Syria’s national team preparations in 2017 🗣️ “We wear second-hand clothing. We train on grass so long that you can barely see the ball. We don’t even have a cook when we travel. Sometimes we have to go to McDonald’s because the food isn’t good enough. If Bashar al-Assad were really using the national team as a political tool, he would have provided better conditions. He isn’t interested in football at all.” 🇹🇷 Sanharib Malki on Turkish football 🗣️ “The Turkish league is much stronger and more demanding than the leagues in the Netherlands and Qatar. Playing as a striker in Türkiye is definitely more difficult. The defenders are physically stronger and there are fewer opportunities to score. There are some excellent footballers here, including players like Drogba, Sneijder and Almeida. Before joining Kasımpaşa, I didn’t know anything about the club’s facilities. When I saw them, I was genuinely surprised. I haven’t seen facilities this good anywhere in Europe. I am happy to be in Türkiye and I’m convinced I made the right decision.”

🇹🇷🇦🇹 Veli Kavlak 🗣️ “My parents come from Türkiye and I am Turkish. I was born and raised in Austria, but I feel Turkish at heart. Even if we play for other national teams, we are still Turks. I always dreamed about the Turkish National Team. Türkiye never made an offer, I was really sad about this so I was forced to choose Austria. I waited so many times for Türkiye to call, but they never did. Then after accepting Austria’s offer, Türkiye made me one for the U21 while I was at camp with Austria. If Türkiye would’ve also made an A team offer I would’ve switched. Austria called me up to their senior national team when I was 17. At that time, Türkiye hadn’t made me an offer, so I didn’t have another option. What was I supposed to tell the Austrian officials? That I was waiting for Türkiye? If they had the choice, which footballer wouldn’t want to play for the Turkish National Team and represent Türkiye? Some players simply don’t have that choice. I couldn’t tell Austria’s coach that I wouldn’t join the national team because I wanted to wait for Türkiye. I feel Turkish at heart, but football is a professional career.” 🇹🇷🇦🇹 Veli Kavlak on how he ended up representing Austria instead of Türkiye 🗣️ “When Austria invited me to their senior national team, Türkiye wanted me for their U21 team. Yes, I could have changed my decision and chosen Türkiye. Naturally, the opportunity to play for a senior national team was very tempting. If I had chosen Türkiye’s U21 team, I wouldn’t have been able to explain that decision to anyone in Austria. But if Türkiye had offered me a place in their senior national team instead, my decision would have been different. Everything would have been completely different, of course.” 🇹🇷 Veli Kavlak reflecting on his international career years later 🗣️ “I didn’t have a choice. I made my senior debut for Austria at 18. Before that, we had no discussions with officials from the Turkish Football Federation, whether at youth or senior level. We received no offers. I had already represented Austria at youth level, but there had been no contact with Türkiye. At the time, if you played even one minute for another national team, you couldn’t switch countries. And now, strangely enough, Turkish players raised abroad can’t play as domestic players because of the rules. I simply can’t understand that rule.” 🇹🇷 Veli Kavlak on Turkish football 🗣️ “The atmosphere of playing football in Türkiye really impressed me. Some players want to play in Europe. I also played for Austria’s national team, but the atmosphere in Türkiye is completely different. The passion for football here is enormous. I played for Rapid Vienna, who have the strongest supporters in Austria, but you simply can’t compare them with Beşiktaş fans. There are no training facilities like Beşiktaş’s in Austria. I haven’t seen anything like them in Germany either. The atmosphere at Beşiktaş is also much warmer than what I experienced in Austria. People are extremely friendly. Austrian football went through a long period of stagnation, even decline.” 🇹🇷 Veli Kavlak to Olcay Şahan 🗣️ “I want all the kit you wear at the national team camp.” He brought him Turkish national team shirts, tracksuits and other equipment from the national team camp. Kavlak became emotional when he finally put on the Turkish National Team tracksuit. 🇹🇷 Eşref Kavlak, Veli’s father 🗣️ “I wish Abdullah Avcı had become Türkiye’s national team coach earlier. Maybe then he would have called Veli up. Every time the Turkish national anthem plays, it feels like something is being torn out of my heart.” 🇹🇷 In January 2026, he became the head coach of Türkiye’s U18 national team. 🇹🇷 Veli Kavlak 🗣️ “Serving Turkish football and the jersey with the star and crescent has always been a great honour and responsibility for me. I will continue my career with the same belief, determination and enthusiasm. I wish the Federation and all our teams success.”

🇹🇷🇦🇹 Yasin Pehlivan 🗣️ “I grew up Turkish until I was 18. Turkish is my mother tongue. I speak Turkish with my parents at home. My heart beats for Türkiye. It’s always a strange feeling for me. When I come here to join the Austrian national team, I’m seen as a Turk.” 🇹🇷🇦🇹 Yasin Pehlivan on why people in Austria perceived him as different 🗣️ “It certainly has something to do with my name.” 🇹🇷🇦🇹 Yasin Pehlivan criticising the lack of recognition for players in Türkiye’s Süper Lig 🗣️ “I think the Turkish league is underestimated. In Austria, the focus is mainly on players who play in Germany. That really bothers me. Veli Kavlak plays for Beşiktaş alongside players like Quaresma, Simão and Guti. You have to achieve something to get there. Not every player based in Germany would be able to do that.” 🇹🇷🇦🇹 Yasin Pehlivan on the reaction in Austria after his transfer to Gaziantepspor 🗣️ “When I moved to Gaziantepspor, people in Austria reacted negatively. Initially, I wasn’t called up to the national team.”

🇹🇷🇦🇹 Ercan Kara 🗣️ “Of course, Türkiye beats in my chest. I have a migrant background. Austria calls me regularly, while Türkiye never called me. People from the Austrian national team have contacted me, and I’m speaking to them. Apparently, the Turkish National Team coach has been watching me, but nobody from Türkiye has contacted me personally yet. There are certainly many factors, everyone will find out when the time comes.” 🇹🇷🇦🇹 Ercan Kara on the debate surrounding footballers with immigrant backgrounds 🗣️ “I don’t understand why people always make such a big deal about those with a migrant background. What matters isn’t where you come from, but what kind of person you are.” 🇹🇷 Emre Öztürk, Kara’s former agent, in 2020 🗣️ “Ercan Kara had his breakthrough later, just like İlhan Mansız. If he receives an invitation from Türkiye, there is nothing preventing him from playing for the Turkish National Team. Yusuf Demir and Ercan Kara both played in Rapid’s Champions League qualifiers. Who from the Turkish Football Federation watched them? What are the criteria for selecting players? How do they decide who receives an invitation? Does a player need to know someone?” 🇹🇷🇦🇹 Ercan Kara ahead of the Türkiye vs Austria match at EURO 2024 🗣️ “I would have loved to be there. It’s an emotionally difficult situation.” 🇹🇷 Ercan Kara on living and playing football in Türkiye in 2025 🗣️ “My parents and ancestors come from Türkiye, so I was already familiar with the culture. But actually living here is something different. I feel really good now. It’s a beautiful life here by the Black Sea. I see the passion for football in Türkiye very positively. Everything is incredibly emotional and enthusiastic. People wake up thinking about football and go to sleep thinking about football. People recognise you everywhere. They talk to you when you score and when you miss a chance. I moved to Türkiye for emotional and sporting reasons. I don’t regret that decision.” 🇹🇷 Former Türkiye head coach Şenol Güneş in April 2021 🗣️ “We missed out on Ercan Kara. I couldn’t travel to watch him because of the pandemic. Yusuf Demir and Ercan Kara were both in Austria. I didn’t watch Ercan live, but after seeing footage of him, I thought he could be a good fit for our squad.”

🇹🇷🇦🇹 Yusuf Demir 🗣️ “I am Turkish, I have lived in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Türkiye is a completely different world. Türkiye only invited me to the U17 national team, whereas Austria invited me to the U21s. That made me feel appreciated.” 🇹🇷 Yusuf Demir, when a journalist addressed him in English upon his arrival at Galatasaray in 2022 🗣️ “I speak Turkish. So why are you asking me in English?” 🇹🇷 Hasan Demir, Yusuf’s father 🗣️ “Austria is doing everything it can to keep Yusuf. They want my son to choose the Austrian senior national team. We are happy about this interest. But we are from Trabzon. There is also that side of the story. Despite Austria showing so much interest, nobody from Türkiye has contacted us about the national team. All of Europe sees and follows my son. Türkiye is the only country that doesn’t see him!” 🇹🇷 Yusuf’s former agent Emre Öztürk in 2020 🗣️ “No one can take the Turkish blood out of us. We are Turks. If an invitation comes from Türkiye, Yusuf will think about it. So far, we have not received any offer from Türkiye. No invitation has arrived. Austria’s senior national team coach is in constant contact with Yusuf. They speak two or three times a month and follow him closely. But Türkiye has not done anything yet. One side is doing everything it can to convince the player, while the other side has shown no such interest. We used to have scouts for the national team. They would travel to different countries and watch matches. But that system disappeared. Who is watching these players now? Who is recommending them? What are the selection criteria? Does a player need to know someone to receive an invitation? Imagine Austria make an offer in four or five months and Yusuf chooses them. People don’t know what happens behind the scenes. Then they’ll attack him and ask, ‘How could you choose Austria?’” 🇹🇷 Tolunay Kafkas, former Türkiye U21 head coach, responding to the agents 🗣️ “We might have made mistakes and we accept that.”

🇹🇷🇰🇿 Mukhtar Mukhtarov, former Kazakhstan international 🗣️ “I support Galatasaray. I’ve always admired Arda Turan. He’s an incredible player who can do everything on the pitch. You can definitely call him the leader of the Turkish National Team. I even named my son after him. My son’s name is Arda. I told a representative of the Turkish Football Federation about it and after the match, he gave me Arda Turan’s shirt. Everyone on our team was treated extremely well in Istanbul. I had dreamed of playing against the Turkish National Team for a long time. That match was very important to me.” 🇹🇷 Mukhtarov on his missed opportunity to play in Türkiye 🗣️ “To be honest, I often think about it. I had a concrete offer from Balıkesirspor. The Turkish club was very ambitious. They had watched me during my national team matches and offered me a contract. Financially, the offer was very good. But Ordabasy’s management asked me to stay and help the team achieve its ambitions. They were counting on me back home, and I couldn’t say no.” 🇰🇿 Mukhtarov on being overlooked by the Kazakhstan national team 🗣️ “I want to believe that I’m losing out on merit. That’s what I’d like to think. But I find it hard to believe. But you’d better ask the national team coach. Don’t ask me too much about this, or I might end up saying things I shouldn’t.”

🇹🇷🇦🇹 Cem Atan 🗣️ “I always wanted to play in Türkiye. I wanted to move to a different, better league. From the kit man to the club president, everything at Gençlerbirliği was great. I was welcomed really well. It felt like a family.” 🇹🇷 Cem Atan on his desire to join Beşiktaş in 2008 🗣️ “My girlfriend’s family is from Istanbul. I wanted to marry her there and make a fresh start.”

🇹🇷🇱🇮 Seyhan Yıldız on Türkiye 🗣️ “My entire family lives in Türkiye. The food, the culture… It would have been great to play football in Türkiye and to represent the Turkish National Team.”

🇹🇷🇱🇮 Olcay Gür, former Liechtenstein international 🗣️ “I couldn’t help myself. Before the match, I sang along to the Turkish National Anthem too.”

🇹🇷🇱🇮 Cengiz Biçer 🗣️ “I’m Turkish. Of course, in my heart I wanted to play for Türkiye, but Liechtenstein were the only ones who made me an offer.”

🇹🇷🇹🇼 Onur Doğan 🗣️ “Çanakkale is my hometown. It’s in western Türkiye, near Greece. You know Troy? That’s where I’m from. When I was six, my mother took me to trials at Çanakkale Dardanel. My dream was to become a professional footballer. That’s how my football journey began.” 🇹🇷 On his favourite football club: 🗣️ “My favourite football club in the world is Galatasaray. My family have always been Galatasaray supporters, ever since I was a child. I also really admire Gheorghe Hagi. I loved watching him play. He used his intelligence and footballing brain. For me, he was the best midfielder.” 🇹🇷 On Turkish mentality: 🗣️ “In Turkish culture, we believe that the beginning of anything is very important. If you start something well, the rest will follow.” 🇹🇼 On why he represents Taiwan: 🗣️ “I never played for the Turkish National Team.” 🇹🇼 On the Taiwanese Football Association: 🗣️ “I didn’t feel good because nobody could tell me whether I was allowed to play. The night before my first match, my teammates told me I could play. At breakfast, the coach confirmed it. Then, at three in the afternoon, I was told I probably couldn’t play after all. Only an hour and a half before kick-off did I finally receive confirmation.” 🗣️ “The Taiwanese Football Association didn’t seem to understand how to handle the process for naturalised players. They even told me to make an international phone call to the Turkish Football Federation myself to request the necessary documents. The Turkish Football Federation is a very large and important organisation. They weren’t going to respond to me.” 🇹🇷🇹🇼 On the difference between Turkish and Taiwanese football: 🗣️ “Türkiye has had professional football for around 100 years. Istanbul alone has more than 40 football clubs. Taiwan has far fewer. Many Taiwanese coaches still rely on old-fashioned training methods. They seem to believe that spending more hours training or making players run more, automatically makes them better footballers. That’s not how football training works. It’s about using the right methods and being efficient. There’s another problem with national team selection. Coaches form their own groups and often select players they’ve worked with. Look at Europe. National teams select players who are performing well for their clubs.” 🇹🇼 On unequal treatment within the national team: 🗣️ “The federation told us they didn’t have much money, so I agreed to receive the same pay as the other Taiwanese players. But then we discovered that a newcomer was receiving more money than even the national team captain. We felt that was unfair and raised the issue with coach Gary White. Later, before the match against Singapore, he wanted me to play again. But when we discussed my contract, he told me that because I hadn’t played for a while, he didn’t know what level I was at anymore. He wanted me to go through a trial before discussing a contract. I’d already proven myself for the national team and at club level. Anyone in that situation would feel angry and disrespected. That’s why I withdrew from that match.” 🇹🇼 On adapting to life in Taiwan: 🗣️ “The cultures were completely different. Some things were incredibly frustrating for me because they went against what I was used to.” 🇹🇼 On his family and representing Taiwan: 🗣️ “Knowing that my friends in Türkiye and elsewhere can watch me giving everything on the pitch makes it special.”

🇹🇷🇲🇰 Eljif Elmas 🗣️ “I am Turkish. The Turkish fans in Germany always support me and show me so much love. I was born in Skopje, and North Macedonia, the country where I was born, has given me a lot. But I am of Turkish descent. My father is from Tetovo. My family originally came from the Kütahya region during the Ottoman period. We still have relatives in Bursa and İzmir.” “I am a Turk. I had an offer from Türkiye, and I really would’ve liked to accept it, but as you know there was a chance that they [Northern Macedonia] would’ve made it difficult for me and punish me. I was then forced to choose Northern Macedonia.” 🇹🇷 On why he chose North Macedonia instead of Türkiye: “Before Türkiye played North Macedonia in Skopje on 5 June 2017, Fatih Terim wanted me to play for the Turkish national team, but it didn’t happen. Then North Macedonia called me up. I was sent to the U21 team, and on 11 June I made my debut for the senior national team. At the time, if I hadn’t accepted North Macedonia’s offer, there was a possibility that I wouldn’t have been allowed to play abroad for two years. It was a really difficult decision.” 🇹🇷 On his love for Türkiye and his dream of living there: “There’s nothing about Türkiye I don’t know. I’ve studied its history and taken Turkish lessons. I also know a lot about Istanbul. Even before my transfer, I dreamed of living in Türkiye with my family. When Fenerbahçe first made an offer, I thought my dream was about to come true. I used to visit Türkiye very often. We have many relatives there, in Kütahya, Bursa and Eskişehir.” 🇹🇷 On the difference between Macedonian and Turkish football: “Football in Macedonia is completely different from football in Türkiye. Think of it as a lower division. I had to work incredibly hard to get from Macedonia to a footballing country. I worked hard and made it. This is how I see it: In Macedonia, I was at minus ten. When I joined Fenerbahçe, I reached zero. I’m still at zero. I’m starting everything from scratch. But now I have the opportunity to reach plus ten or plus twenty because I’m at a huge club with everything I need to succeed.” 🇹🇷 On Turkish football supporters: “I’ve never seen fans as passionate as the ones in Türkiye. I’ve played in the Champions League and in big matches, but I’ve never experienced the same football atmosphere anywhere else. Nothing compares to the Turkish league, especially the derbies involving Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş. I’ve played in many stadiums, but I’ve never seen fans create an atmosphere like Turkish supporters do. That’s why Türkiye will always be number one for me when it comes to football atmosphere.” 🇹🇷 Eljif Elmas during the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023: “My beloved country, I’m so sorry. Everyone should do whatever they can. We’ll get through these difficult days together. Türkiye is my country and I will do my part. Hand in hand, we’ll overcome this.” 🇹🇷 In another message, announcing his efforts to raise funds with Napoli: “I’m very sad for my country. I’m trying to do everything I can. Besides the donations already being made, we’re planning to raise money together as a Napoli team. God willing, we’ll send it to Türkiye as soon as possible. We’re asking for your support.” 🇹🇷 On where he wants to live and finish his career: “I’m thinking about living in Türkiye. I also want to finish my football career in Türkiye.” 🇹🇷 After facing Türkiye with North Macedonia in June 2026: “It’s been seven years since I last came to Kadıköy. The atmosphere was great. All the players in the Turkish national team play at a high level. They’re a step ahead of us. I think Türkiye can reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.” 🇹🇷 On his future: “I love Türkiye very much. I want to live in Istanbul in the future. God willing, I hope I’ll play in Türkiye again one day.”

🇹🇷🇲🇰 Muarem Muarem 🗣️ “I already wear the Macedonian national team jersey, but if I had the opportunity, I would love to wear the jersey of Türkiye.” 🇹🇷 Muarem Muarem on Turkish football 🗣️ “The Turkish Süper Lig is a very strong league. I also have a Turkish passport. If I make the transfer, I will be able to play as a domestic player. Money is not my priority. This would be a very important step for my career. I don’t want to move to Türkiye for money. I love the Süper Lig and I want to play there. The transfer only fell through because the clubs couldn’t agree on the transfer fee.” 🇲🇰 Muarem Muarem on football in Macedonia 🗣️ “We have footballing quality in Macedonia, but we are very far behind when it comes to the necessary conditions. In Azerbaijan, almost every club has its own training facilities with two pitches. Players are coming from strong leagues such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and France, and the league continues to improve every year. There are many good footballers in Macedonia, but unfortunately, the infrastructure that is so important for developing players is missing.”

🇹🇷🇦🇿🇩🇪 Uğur Pamuk 🗣️ “I am Turkish. If anyone wants proof of my roots, I can provide it. My grandfather came from Ganja in Azerbaijan and moved to Iğdır in Türkiye, where my father was born. My family later moved from Türkiye to Germany, where I was born.”

🇹🇷🇩🇪🇦🇿 Tuğrul Erat 🗣️ “I was born in Nettetal, Germany and I am Turkish through and through. As a child, I mainly followed the Turkish Süper Lig. Of course, I also watched the Bundesliga, but my focus was always on Turkish football.” 🇹🇷🇦🇿 Tuğrul Erat on representing Azerbaijan 🗣️ “I don’t really see a big difference between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. On paper, they are two different countries, but they are one people. The two countries are like brother nations. The people understand and speak Turkish. In 2013, I received an invitation to Azerbaijan’s U21 national team. I thought about the decision for a few days because, deep down, I had been hoping for an invitation to the Turkish national team. But the opportunity to play international football was very tempting and everything happened very quickly with Azerbaijan.” 🇹🇷 Tuğrul Erat on his international opportunities 🗣️ “I didn’t have a chance to establish myself as a national-team player for Türkiye. I chose Azerbaijan because it gave me the opportunity to gain international experience.”

🇹🇷🇦🇿🇩🇪 Cihan Özkara 🗣️ “I don’t have three nationalities. I only have: Turkish (Türkiye and Azerbaijan). I was actually a candidate for the youth national teams of both Germany and Türkiye. However, my club at the time, Rot Weiss Ahlen, refused to release me. We were fighting against relegation from Germany’s second division and the club didn’t want to let me go. Choosing Azerbaijan wasn’t an easy decision. My family and I made that decision together. Azerbaijan’s head coach Berti Vogts introduced me to the Azerbaijani Football Federation. Then Azerbaijan U21 head coach Bernhard Lippert called me ahead of the European Championship qualifiers. After that, I decided to represent Azerbaijan.”

Tedesco’yu yolladılar, mumla arıyorlar…

🇹🇷🇦🇿 Mert Çelik 🗣️ “I played for Türkiye’s U19 and U20 national teams. Then I received an invitation from Azerbaijan’s U21 national team. I thought choosing Azerbaijan would be the better decision for my career. I represent Azerbaijan as a Turkish player. When I came to Azerbaijan, there were Turkish and Azerbaijani flags hanging in windows everywhere. Seeing that made me genuinely happy. I already knew how close Türkiye and Azerbaijan were, but experiencing it myself made me incredibly proud. Living in Baku feels just like living in Istanbul.” 🇹🇷 Mert Çelik on Türkiye playing at Euro 2020 in Baku 🗣️ “I’m very excited because I was fortunate enough to represent Türkiye at youth level. Now the senior national team has come to Baku. I hope we win today. Baku is home to the Turkish National Team. We are one nation, two states. The entire stadium will be supporting Türkiye. I believe Türkiye can win their matches in Baku and qualify from the group.”

🇹🇷🇫🇮 Kaan Kairinen 🗣️ “Yes, I have Turkish roots. My father passed away when I was five years old. At one point, there were discussions about me representing Türkiye. I’m proud of my Turkish ancestry.”