Kerem Aktürkoğlu: We didn't come here just to participate

Stating that he has recovered from his injury, Aktürkoğlu said, "Other than that, we are having a very good training camp. We are aware of this. We know that our country has been waiting for this, to be participating in the World Cup after 24 years. We are also aware of what is expected of us. We are preparing for the tournament in the best possible way. I hope it will be a great tournament for all of us and for our country. As a team, we will have the opportunity to represent our country in the best way possible. We are waiting for the tournament to start as soon as possible," he said.

"Whoever plays will have the support of 85 million fans behind them"

The 27-year-old footballer, who said they grew up with the stories of the national team in the 2002 World Cup, said, "It was everyone's dream. Most people don't remember the matches. Achieving this after 24 years is a great source of pride for us. For a country like ours, just coming here shouldn't be considered a success. After the European Championship, we are reflecting our own character and our football on the pitch in every way, both with our style of play and as a team. This is reflected very beautifully and positively in the results. We came to this tournament having caught a very good form. We are aware of this. We are also aware of what our country expects. Whoever plays will have the support of 85 million fans behind them. Whether it's me or someone else, it doesn't matter; we will take the field to represent the crescent-and-star jersey to the end. I hope we achieve this. We will show it to the whole world," he said.

When reminded that he plays as a forward in the national team, Kerem Aktürkoğlu said, "I am normally a winger. Since coach Montella arrived at the national team, I have been playing as a forward. I have no complaints about this. I feel very good. I think it is positive for the team as well. My position doesn't matter, no matter where I play. I feel good and comfortable as a forward too. I hope I will contribute in this tournament as well," he expressed.

"We are a great team"

Responding to a question about the goal he scored in the Kosovo match, the national footballer said, "The important thing was to participate in the World Cup. Everyone goes into the match dreaming of scoring a goal or making an assist. As attacking players, we are happy when we contribute to the score. I told Orkun at that moment, I was worried about the offside, it was going out, that's why I touched it. We talked about whether I might be offside. I touched it when it took a curve to go out. We are a great team. I observe that there is a tremendous friendship inside. There is a tremendous synergy. I have been going to the national team for 6 years, and I believe there has been a great friendship for the last 2-3 years. Everyone has a dream. While playing football on the street, we used to dream of achieving things with the national team jersey. Being able to dream of these things and being here is very beautiful. Just being at the World Cup shouldn't be enough for our country," he replied.

"We have gotten used to the current conditions"

Stating that the weather conditions are the same for everyone, Aktürkoğlu assessed, "When we participated in the Club World Cup with Orkun at Benfica last year, we dealt with the same difficulties. Of course, they are difficult conditions, but they are difficult for everyone. It would have been nice for everyone to play football in a different climate. These are the facilities we have. It is a bit hotter here compared to Miami. We are lucky that we will play all 3 of our matches in the evening hours. That's why we train in the evening. We have gotten used to the current conditions," he said.

"We didn't come here just to participate, we want to be successful"

Speaking about the first match in the group against Australia, the 27-year-old footballer said, "We have already started meetings for the Australia match in a tactical sense as well. I think this shows how seriously we take this tournament. We didn't come here just to participate, we want to be successful. We have an intense work schedule for this. I hope we get the reward for it in a good way," he stated.

Saying that they know the quality of national footballer Kenan Yıldız and that he is a very important player, Kerem Aktürkoğlu said, "As far as I know, his recovery is going well. We need everything he will add to us, just like the other players. We are a young team with potential. Kenan is one of them. It doesn't matter who plays. Whoever plays will have 85 million fans behind them. I hope everyone will be in a condition to play and the coach's job will become difficult," he said.

"I hope we write the same story at the World Cup"

When asked about his harmony with Orkun Kökçü, Aktürkoğlu said, "After the national team, we joined the Benfica camp with Orkun. It was a very tiring season. It was a truly beautiful year with Orkun. We both had a very successful season and returned to our country. We continue to write the story. We want to end this story successfully in the national team. We wrote a beautiful story in the European Championship. I hope we write the same story at the World Cup. It is a pleasure to play with Orkun in the national team as well. I love him very much," he said.

"I hope we win against the USA"

Stating that Arizona is a beautiful region, the national footballer said, "The hotel and training facilities are also nice. We had a good time in the friendly match we played against the USA, we won. It was a very difficult match. We will play against them in the group, against a host country. We are aware that it will be a much different and more difficult match. As Turks, we are a nation that plays with its emotions and acts with its emotions. This is reflected very beautifully on the pitch. I hope we win against the USA," he expressed.

Emphasizing that they are a high-quality team with a lot of potential, the 27-year-old footballer said, "After achieving a good success in the European Championship, we are continuing this. That's why our opponents are more careful against us. We have very high-profile footballers. I think we reflect this on the pitch very beautifully as a team, both with our behavior, our emotions, and our performance. This can make us a team that is not wanted to be faced. I would be proud of that. We also need to show this as performance on the pitch. I believe we will do that," he said.

"The coach likes to have many meetings, he is very detail-oriented, he analyzes the opponents a lot"

Regarding the A National Football Team Head Coach Vincenzo Montella, Kerem Aktürkoğlu assessed, "The coach has had a very positive impact on the team from the very beginning. This is also visible to the eye. It is also felt a lot by the players. The reflection of this on the pitch as performance makes our country happy. The coach likes to have many meetings. Because he is very detail-oriented, he analyzes the opponents a lot. Sometimes we as players can get bored, but we are happy with our situation. We have all the information about the opponent we are going to face on the pitch. I think it has a positive effect on us," he said.

News Source: İHA