ISTANBUL (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Turkey national team coach Ergin Ataman is enthusiastic about the young crop of players in the country that everyone expects to have a major impact on international basketball.

Until they're ready to blossom, though, the veteran tactician will lean more heavily on those who give the country a chance to win games in the big tournaments.

That is the message he has been sharing with everyone ahead of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Turkey have as much promise in the youth ranks as any team in Europe, but patience is necessary.

"We have stars and also among the youth a high quality generation," Ataman said.

"We will gradually incorporate these young players into the national team.

"For this we have to realize, these kids are still only 18, 19 years old.

"For them to reach a point where they can take the national team to a medal at the World Championship level, they need to gain experience until they are at least 23, 24 years old."

At last year's U18 European Championship in Latvia, Turkey reached the top of the podium after beating defending champions Croatia in the Final.

Metecan Birsen, who recently played at the Nike Hoop Summit in Oregon, was in that title-winning U18 side as well as his Fenerbahce teammate, Kenan Sipahi.

Kerem Kanter, the young brother of Utah Jazz big man Enes, and Anadolu Efes shooting guard Cedi Osman were a couple of other well-known players in the triumphant team coached by Taner Gunay.

Gunay has a lot of insight into the youngsters in Turkey's basketball setup.

"You can say that within our 1993-1998-born generation, there are 10 truly gifted players," he said in a recent interview with FIBA.

"I'm not going to shy away from saying that they have NBA-level talent.

"At the next World Cup after Spain, I estimate that 70 percent of the national team will be comprised of these players."

While patience is a virtue for Ataman, who is also the coach of Galatasaray, he has another quality that makes him a good national team boss.

He feels a sense of urgency to win.

Not in several years, not next summer, but now.

He wants to take Turkey to the podium at the World Cup later this year, something that happened in 2010 when the national team finished runners-up to the USA.

To accomplish that, there is almost certain to be in the inclusion of a naturalized player.

One name that has surfaced in speculation in the social media is Keith Langford of EA7 Armani Milan.

Ataman explained to GençlikSpor Magazine, the official magazine of Turkey's Ministry of Youth and Sport, why he and the federation are willing to take that approach.

"Our only goal here is to fill some of our gaps until our players who were (European) Champions on the youth national team have gained experience," he said.

"This is a short-term thing. As we've indicated, there are a few candidate players. Some meetings are being conducted with them...

"We're going to make one or two more players Turkish citizens, and of the 6-7 naturalized players we have, we'll bring the one we feel we need most to the championship."

Turkey will play in Group C at the World Cup against the USA, Ukraine, the Dominican Republic, New Zealand and Finland.

FIBA