Turkey have recorded a marked improvement in their performances over recent years. They achieved their best result at the 2012 World Grand Prix when they took the bronze medal behind the United States and Brazil. Last year they bounced back from an eighth-place finish in 2013 to take fourth place in Group 1 in their fourth outing at the tournament. At last year’s World Championship they finished level-ninth. They took two silvers and a bronze in the European League from 2009-11 and claimed bronze at the 2011 European Championship. The team made their first appearance at Olympic level at London 2012 where they recorded wins over Serbia and Korea, finishing in equal-ninth place overall.
The Turks have competed in every Mediterranean Games final since 1997, taking gold in 2005. Known as Filenin Sultanlan, which translates into Sultans of the Net, the team should be boosted in the coming years after their youngsters won the bronze medal at the 2014 European Junior Championships. Turkey’s national league is highly competitive and clubs are able to attract many of the top players in the world, with Istanbul’s Eczacibasi Vitra recently winning the 2015 Club World Championship in Zurich.