ISTANBUL (EuroBasket 2009 / 2010 FIBA World Championship) - Hedo Turkoglu  enjoyed his finest season in the NBA this year with the Orlando Magic, helping them make it all the way to the Finals.

Now the 30-year-old has turned his attention to Turkey’s national team, with the star forward among the 17 players named in Bogdan Tanjevic’s preliminary squad for the EuroBasket – Europe’s qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

As next year’s big event will be staged in Turkey, Turkoglu and Co already have a spot in the tournament as hosts.

They will therefore use the EuroBasket in Poland as a warm-up for 2010 and no doubt go for a medal to build some momentum.

Former NBA champion Mehmet Okur, who plays for the Utah Jazz and represented Turkey two years ago at the EuroBasket in Spain, has not been included in the summer’s squad.


Turkey preliminary squad for EuroBasket:

Fatih Solak (Aliaga Petkim)
Cevher Özer (Besiktas Cola Turka)
Baris Hersek (Darüssafaka Cooper Tires)
Ender Arslan (Efes Pilsen)
Engin Atsür (Efes Pilsen)
Kerem Gönlüm (Efes Pilsen)
Kerem Tunçeri (Efes Pilsen)
Sinan Güler (Efes Pilsen)
Oguz Savas (Fenerbahçe Ülker)
Ömer Asik (Fenerbahçe Ülker)
Ömer Onan (Fenerbahçe Ülker)
Semih Erden (Fenerbahçe Ülker)
Cemal Nalga (Galatasaray Cafe Crown)
Hidayet Türkoglu (Orlando Magic)
Evren Büker (Oyak Renalut)
Ersan Ilyasova Regal (FC Barcelona)
Bekir Yarengüme (Türk Telekom)

FIBA