ISTANBUL (Türkiye) - Omer Kutluay has one big dream for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026. And that is to stand on the podium with Türkiye on the final day of action on July 5 - in front of his family and friends in his home city of Istanbul.
I want to win something. I'm desperate. I want to have a medal.
Especially after failing the last two summers.
Kutluay played the FIBA U16 EuroBasket the last two years and both times the country lost in the Quarter-Finals - last summer 94-73 to Serbia.
"We learned a lot from losing because it's just one game, you never know what's going to happen. We have to push ourselves and help each other and we have to put 100 percent into every game," said Kutluay, who was the leading scorer of both U16 EuroBaskets with 24.1 points per game last summer. "The first one we were eighth, and the second one we finished seventh. So I want to win something. I'm desperate. I want to have a medal."
The point guard definitely showed he is ready to lead his team to the podium in Istanbul. In the opening game against New Zealand, Kutluay poured in 39 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals in nearly 48 minutes of a 112-100 double-overtime win.
"It's my hometown - Istanbul - where I was born. I'm excited, and I want to make the fans happy this year. It's a hard goal to reach the Final. It's our goal. I'm excited," Kutluay said. "It's gonna be a nice crowd. The basketball culture is nice in Türkiye.
"We have our friends, our family, our coaches here. It can't be bad."
Türkiye have traditionally performed extremely well in front of their home fans. In 10 men's youth or senior national teams events as hosts, Türkiye have finished on the podium six times.
They won the crown at FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2014; took second place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010, FIBA EuroBasket 2001, FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2022 and FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2006; and grabbed third place at FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024.
"It's like a pressure thing because fans want us to achieve things, medals and achievements. So we gotta win," Kutluay said.
Kutluay and this 2009-born generation does have a title in their past. They won the championship at the 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Skopje a couple of weeks before the FIBA U16 EuroBasket.
Kutluay led all scorers in the competition with 27.6 points per game, including 29 points in both the Semi-Finals and Final.
"It was really nice because teams say they're going to go to the Final, but it's just a saying. But we achieved something before, so we know that we can achieve it again. And that pushes us to achieve more in believing."
Kutluay has another force pushing him - namely his father, the former Turkish international star Ibrahim Kutluay. The former guard played for Türkiye in seven EuroBaskets from 1995 to 2007 as well as two FIBA Basketball World Cups. His biggest achievement was taking second place at the 2001 EuroBasket and he also helped Greek side Panathinaikos Athens to the 2002 EuroLeague crown.
Omer was coached by his father at the Ibrahim Kutluay Basketball Academy until he was 13 when he moved to Anadolu Efes Istanbul and won the Turkish U14 title as Most Valuable Player in 2023. He then moved to Real Madrid a year later.
"I watched him a lot. He was a sharpshooter and he's a winner as well. He has won EuroLeague and many Turkish Cups and Greek Cups, and he always shows up in big moments. So he's a winner," Omer said of his father. "He always tells me work, work and work. So I have to do so much work that failing shouldn't exist. He tells me to work and never have excuses."
Omer believes he is a winner just like his father.
"It's just in the genes. I have that as well. It's like a killer instinct that he has and I think I have as well. And his mentality as well."
Besides the EYOF title, Kutluay also has two club championships with Real Madrid. He helped them win the 2025 Spanish U16 domestic title and then scored 14 points as Madrid beat Barcelona in the Final of the newly-founded Spanish U22 League in May 2026.
Being in Spain Kutluay says has really helped him. First off by learning to be on his own.
"Staying alone and being mentally strong without your family or without anybody supporting you is a hard thing, and I think I achieved that," he said.
But the Spanish style of playing also gave him an edge.
"They play really fast. They play in a different tempo that nobody can control. You have to play fast. You have to play tough defense," he said.
Kutluay hopes the lessons learned in Spain will show up on the court in Istanbul and can help the country to reach the podium.
Finally as it would be for the young playmaker.
"I'm dreaming about winning a medal with a national team. I had this in my mind as a dream the last two years. So achieving this is going to be crazy for me. I think I'm gonna take so many days off to feel the moment, to really savor it."
FIBA