Turkey have added EuroLeague players Doğuş Balbay and Birkan Batuk of Anadolu Efes, and also Melih Mahmutoğlu of Fenerbahce to their FIBA World Cup qualifying squad.
This despite Fenerbahce’s group of players releasing a joint statement saying that we would not participate for their respective countries during the international window, which begins next week.
The Turkish national team have no doubt thrown a curve ball with the inclsuion of three EuroLeague players. They commence a mini training camp on November 20 but it remains to be seen what Mahmutoglu, Balbay and Batuk will do.
Turkey squad:
Tolga Geçim, Sertaç Şanlı, Semih Erden, Furkan Aldemir, Hüseyin Göksenin Köksal, Ege Arar, Berk İbrahim Uğurlu, Metin Türen, Alp Karahan, J.Metecan Birsen, Barış Ermiş, Melih Mahmutoğlu, Doğuş Balbay and Birkan Batuk
Turkey begin their campaign with a tricky home clash against Latvia in Bursa on Friday. They follow that up with a road game against Ukraine in Kiev on Sunday.