Famous Turkish Sportspersons

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 1 
Zehra Güneş
(Turkish Volleyball Player)
Zehra Güneş
6
Birthdate: July 7, 1999
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kartal, İstanbul, Turkey
 2 
Naim Suleymanoglu
(Bulgarian World Champion Weightlifter and 3-Time Olympic Gold Medalist)
Naim Suleymanoglu
3
Birthdate: January 23, 1967
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ptichar, Bulgaria
Died: November 18, 2017

Nicknamed The Pocket Hercules for his 4’10” frame, Bulgarian weightlifter Naim Suleymanoglu was one of the world’s greatest in the sport. While he initially won 2 World Championships for Bulgaria, he later won 3 Olympic gold medals and 5 World Championships for Turkey. He has also joined the Nationalist Movement Party.

 3 
Arda Turan
(Turkish Football Manager and Former Football Player Who Played Most Notably as a Winger)
Arda Turan
4
Birthdate: January 30, 1987
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey
 4 
Zaza Pachulia
(Basketball player)
Zaza Pachulia
6
Birthdate: February 10, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgia
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 5 
Cedi Osman
(Basketball player)
Cedi Osman
3
Birthdate: April 8, 1995
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ohrid, North Macedonia Macedonia
 6 
Burak Yılmaz
(Turkish Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Burak Yılmaz
3
Birthdate: July 15, 1985
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Antalya, Turkey
 7 
Ersan Ilyasova
(Basketball player)
Ersan Ilyasova
3
Birthdate: May 15, 1987
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Eskişehir, Turkey
 8 
Hakan Şükür
(Turkish Former Professional Footballer Who Played as a Striker)
Hakan Şükür
3
Birthdate: September 1, 1971
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sapanca, Turkey
 9 
Hidayet Türkoğlu
(Basketball player)
Hidayet Türkoğlu
3
Birthdate: March 19, 1979
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Istanbul
 10 
Alperen Şengün
(Basketball player)
Alperen Şengün
2
Birthdate: July 25, 2002
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Giresun, Turkey
 11 
Emre Mor
(Turkish Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Emre Mor
6
Birthdate: July 24, 1997
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brønshøj, Copenhagen, Denmark
 12 
Fatih Terim
(Turkish Association Football Manager and Former Football Defender)
Fatih Terim
3
Birthdate: September 4, 1953
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Adana, Turkey
 13 
Cenk Tosun
(Turkish Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Striker)
Cenk Tosun
4
Birthdate: June 7, 1991
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wetzlar, Germany
 14 
Furkan Korkmaz
(Basketball player)
Furkan Korkmaz
3
Birthdate: July 24, 1997
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 15 
Emre Belözoğlu
(Turkish Former Professional Footballer and Manager)
Emre Belözoğlu
3
Birthdate: September 7, 1980
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 16 
Rüştü Reçber
(Turkish Former Football Goalkeeper and a Current Sports Executive)
Rüştü Reçber
3
Birthdate: May 10, 1973
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Küçükköy, Turkey
 17 
Ömer Aşık
(Basketball player)
Ömer Aşık
3
Birthdate: July 4, 1986
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bursa, Turkey
 18 
Avni Yildirim
(Boxer)
Avni Yildirim
3
Birthdate: August 5, 1991
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sivas, Turkey
 19 
Mehmet Okur
(Basketball player)
Mehmet Okur
3
Birthdate: May 26, 1979
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Yalova, Turkey
 20 
Taha Akgül
(Turkish Freestyle Wrestler)
Taha Akgül
2
Birthdate: November 22, 1990
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sivas, Turkey
 21 
Ömer Yurtseven
(Basketball player)
Ömer Yurtseven
2
Birthdate: June 19, 1998
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 22 
Ömer Toprak
(German Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Defender)
Ömer Toprak
3
Birthdate: July 21, 1989
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Ravensburg, Germany
 23 
Scottie Wilbekin
(Basketball player)
Scottie Wilbekin
3
Birthdate: April 5, 1993
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gainesville, Florida, United States
 24 
Hamit Altıntop
(Turkish Former Professional Footballer)
Hamit Altıntop
3
Birthdate: December 8, 1982
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
 25 
Volkan Demirel
(Turkish Coach, Pundit and Former Football Goalkeeper)
Volkan Demirel
3
Birthdate: October 27, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 26 
Bobby Dixon
(Basketball player)
Bobby Dixon
3
Birthdate: April 10, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
 27 
Halil Mutlu
(Bulgarian-Born Turkish Weightlifter and 3-Time Olympic Gold Medalist)
Halil Mutlu
2
Birthdate: July 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Postnik, Bulgaria

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Bulgarian-born Turkish weightlifter Halil Mutlu has also been a 5-time World Champion and a 9-time European Champion. He also enjoys wrestling in his leisure time. He was disqualified from the 2005 Sofia European Championship due to a 2-year ban for testing positive for a banned steroid.

 28 
Mete Gazoz
(Turkish Archer and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Mete Gazoz
0
Birthdate: June 8, 1999
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 29 
Oğuzhan Özyakup
(Turkish Professional Footballer)
Oğuzhan Özyakup
0
Birthdate: September 23, 1992
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Zaandam, Netherlands
 30 
Nurettin Sonmez
(Actor)
Nurettin Sonmez
3
Birthdate: July 24, 1978
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 31 
Eren Derdiyok
(Swiss Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Striker)
Eren Derdiyok
3
Birthdate: June 12, 1988
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland
 32 
Nur Tatar
(Taekwondo athlete)
Nur Tatar
1
Birthdate: August 16, 1992
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Van, Turkey
 33 
Servet Tazegül
(Taekwondo athlete)
Servet Tazegül
2
Birthdate: September 26, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Nürnberg, Germany
 34 
Naz Aydemir
(Turkish Volleyball Player)
Naz Aydemir
4
Birthdate: August 14, 1990
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 35 
Cüneyt Arkın
(Actor)
Cüneyt Arkın
2
Birthdate: September 7, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Alpu, Eskişehir, Turkey
 36 
Nadir Çiftçi
(Turkish Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Nadir Çiftçi
0
Birthdate: February 12, 1992
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Karakoçan, Turkey
 37 
Tuncay Şanlı
(Turkish Manager and Former Footballer)
Tuncay Şanlı
1
Birthdate: January 16, 1982
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Sakarya, Turkey
 38 
Nihat Kahveci
(Turkish Former Professional Footballer Who Played as a Forward)
Nihat Kahveci
3
Birthdate: November 23, 1979
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 39 
Orkun Kökçü
(Turkish Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Midfielder)
Orkun Kökçü
0
Birthdate: December 29, 2000
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Haarlem, Netherlands
 40 
Kerem Kanter
(Basketball player)
Kerem Kanter
2
Birthdate: April 29, 1995
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bursa, Turkey
 41 
Semih Erden
(Basketball player)
Semih Erden
2
Birthdate: July 28, 1986
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 42 
İlhan Mansız
(Turkish Former Professional Footballer Who Played as a Forward)
İlhan Mansız
4
Birthdate: August 10, 1975
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kempten, Bavaria, Germany
 43 
Nurcan Taylan
(European Weightlifter and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Nurcan Taylan
0
Birthdate: October 29, 1983
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ankara, Turkey
 44 
Ramil Guliyev
(Sprinter)
Ramil Guliyev
2
Birthdate: May 29, 1990
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Baku, Azerbaijan SSR
 45 
Eda Erdem
(Turkish Professional Volleyball Player)
Eda Erdem
0
Birthdate: June 22, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 46 
Okan Buruk
(Turkish Professional Football Manager and Former Player)
Okan Buruk
2
Birthdate: October 19, 1973
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
 47 
Kenan Sofuoğlu
(Five-Time Supersport World Champion Turkish Racer)
Kenan Sofuoğlu
2
Birthdate: August 25, 1984
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kuzuluk, Akyazı, Sakarya Province, Turkey

Retired Turkish motorcycle racing star Kenan Sofuoğlu is a 5-time winner of the Supersport World Championship. A string of injuries, including a hip injury, ended his racing career. He later joined politics with the Justice and Development Party, or the AK Party, and represented the Sakarya Province in the Turkish parliament.

 48 
Riza Kayaalp
(Turkish Wrestler)
Riza Kayaalp
2
Birthdate: October 10, 1989
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Yozgat, Turkey
 49 
Hatice Kübra İlgün
(Turkish Taekwondo Athlete)
Hatice Kübra İlgün
0
Birthdate: January 1, 1993
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kars, Turkey
 50 
Emir Preldžić
(Basketball Player)
Emir Preldžić
2
Birthdate: September 6, 1987
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Emir Preldžić is a Bosnian-Turkish basketball player who has played for the Turkish national basketball team. A versatile player, Preldžić can play as a power forward, point guard, and shooting guard, although he predominantly plays at the small forward position. Emir Preldžić has also played for the Slovenian national basketball team.