Turkish president appoints former NBA star as adviser

ANKARA

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed March 15 Hidayet Türkoğlu, a former basketball star, as one of his senior advisers, a presidential office source has said.

Türkoğlu, the first Turkish-born player to play in the NBA, has been recruited to give advice on sports.

Meanwhile, presidential sources clarified that Türkoğlu would receive a monthly salary of around 9,000 Turkish Liras, denying claims circulating on social media that he would be paid 60,000 liras.
Türkoğlu, known as “Hedo,” began his career with Turkish giant Efes Pilsen, now known as Anadolu Efes, in 1996 before moving to the NBA. During 15 years in North America, he played for the Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.      

He played for the Turkish national team, winning silver medals at the 2001 European Championship and the 2010 FIBA World Championship.      

He became the chief executive officer of the Turkish Basketball Federation after retiring from professional basketball in November 2015.