ISTANBUL (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Turkey have had some terrific rebounders over the years.

Mirsad Turkcan, a 2.05m power forward, used to crash the boards like it was his only mission in life and is currently the all-time leading rebounder in Turkish Airlines Euroleague basketball history with 1,287.

He played for Montepaschi Siena, CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce.

In the national team shirt, Turkcan had some memorable games.

Among his signature performances was a 20-point, 14-rebound effort in Turkey's 87-85 triumph over Croatia in the EuroBasket 2001 Quarter-Finals in Istanbul.

The following year at the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Turkcan had 20 rebounds to go with his 18 points in a 91-86 victory over Russia.

For the past several seasons, another player in Turkish basketball has proved to be an extremely tough competitor on the boards.

He is 2.08m center Furkan Aldemir, a 22-year-old in the books of Galatasaray.

Aldemir has been making a name for himself since 2010, when he averaged a double-double in points (13.9) and rebounds (11.6) at the U20 European Championship in Croatia.

He had at least 13 rebounds in five of Turkey's nine games at the event.

The following season with Pinar Karsiyaka, Aldemir was a beast on the boards.

In the team's first four games of the EuroChallenge, he averaged 14.5 rebounds.

At the 2011 U20 European Championship, Aldemir averaged 14.8 points and 15.9 rebounds and made the all-tournament team.

Aldemir had a couple of jaw-dropping performances, pulling down 25 rebounds against Germany and 23 against Russia.

Fast-forward to this year with Galatasaray and Aldemir has had some bright moments, including 12 rebounds against Unicaja Malaga and 16 against Stelmet Zielona Gora in the regular season, and 11 against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Top 16.

In a recent interview published on the Euroleague website, Aldmir reflected on the big games he enjoyed with Turkey's U20 team back in 2011, including the 25-rebound effort when 15 of those came on the offensive boards.

"Everybody asks me how you get 25 rebounds," he said.

"I tell them I don't know.

"God gave me that talent. I tried to always get rebounds, and always to get offensive rebounds."

Aldemir is nowhere near the finished article as a basketball player.

Galatasaray coach Ergin Ataman is playing him an average of 14:31 minutes in the Top 16.

He didn't feature for Turkey last year at the EuroBasket and it remains to be seen if he and other youngsters will be in the national side that competes at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Turkey's veterans didn't wrap themselves in glory in Slovenia last summer, winning just once and crashing out of the tournament in the first round.

Aldemir does have a lot of potential.

The Los Angeles Clippers picked him in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft.

His rights are now owned by Philadelphia.

What seems obvious is that Aldemir will have some big moments in international basketball.

It's a matter of when, not if.

FIBA