Terim calls up fresh faces for Turkey friendlies

ISTANBUL

Turkish national football team coach Fatih Terim

Turkish national football team coach Fatih Terim has given first call-ups to 11 players as he named his 28-man squad to face Northern Ireland and Belarus. 

Terim announced the squad late on Nov. 10, signaling that the national team could undergo a revision before the Euro 2016 qualifiers start next year. 

Turkey will play against Northern Ireland on Nov. 15 in Adana and will host Belarus on Nov. 19 in the first-ever national team match in Mersin. 

Fenerbahçe starlet Salih Uçan, Eskişehirspor duo Aytaç Kara and Tarık Çamdalı, Kasımpaşa forward Adem Büyük, Sivasspor’s Aydın Karabulut, Gençlerbirliği’s Uğur Çiftçi, Trabzonspor’s Aykut Demir, Bursaspor defender Serdar Aziz, Kardemir Karabükspor’s İshak Doğan and Çaykur Rizespor duo Serkan Kırıntılı and Koray Altınay were called up to the national team for the first time. 

Akhisar’s Bilal Kısa enjoyed a return after seven years, and could be given just his second cap after making his national team debut against Estonia on May 28, 2006. 

Fenerbahçe’s Salih was joined by goalkeeper Volkan Demirel, midfielders Caner Erkin and Mehmet Topal and right back Gökhan Gönül. 

“After Under-15, I played for U-16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Today I am in the national team, I am very happy,” Salih, Fenerbahçe’s wonder boy tweeted fresh after his team’s 2-0 derby win over Galatasaray. 

Beşiktaş also had five players, with goalkeeper Tolga Zengin, attackers Gökhan Töre, Olcay Şahan, Oğuzhan Özyakup and defender Ersan Gülüm included in the squad.

The biggest snub was Galatasaray maestro Selçuk İnan, who is recently far from his stellar performances in the last two years. Terim, however, called up defender Semih Kaya, midfielder Emre Çolak and forwards Burak Yılmaz and Umut Bulut from his former team. 

Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp called Terim and asked him to leave midfielder Nuri Şahin out, a request that was accepted by the Turkish boss, according to the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) website. 

Atletico Madrid’s Arda Turan, Stuttgart’s Sercan Sararer and Saint Etienne’s Mevlüt Erdinç were the other call-ups from European clubs. 

Turkey missed out on qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, finishing in its group behind the Netherlands, Romania and Hungary.