Kerem Akturkoglu Biography

Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu (b. October 21, 1998, Izmit) is a Turkish national football player who plays as a left winger. He currently plays for the Primeira Liga team Benfica.

Personal Information

•   Full Name: Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu
•   Date of Birth: October 21, 1998 (25 years old)
•   Place of Birth: Izmit, Kocaeli, Turkey
•   Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
•   Position: Left Winger

Club Information

•   Club: Benfica
•   Number: 17

Youth Career

•   2011-2013: Golcukspor
•   2013-2014: Hisareynspor
•   2014-2015: Istanbul Basaksehir FK

Professional Career

Years Team Matches Goals
2015-2018 Istanbul Basaksehir FK 0 0
2016-2017 → Bodrumspor (loan) 27 4
2018-2019 Karacabey Belediyespor 34 3
2019-2020 24 Erzincanspor 30 20
2020-2024 Galatasaray 179 46
2024- Benfica 5 4
Total 275 77

National Team Career

Year Team Matches Goals
2015 Turkey U-18 2 0
2017 Turkey U-19 2 1
2021- Turkey 36 9
Total 40 10

Born on October 21, 1998, in Izmit, Kerem Akturkoglu joined the youth academy of Golcukspor in his hometown at the age of 13 in 2011. After spending two years there, he transferred to the youth academy of Hisareynspor and, in 2015, moved to the youth team of Istanbul Basaksehir. A year later, he signed a professional contract. In 2016, he was loaned to Bodrumspor for one season.

In 2018, Akturkoglu left Basaksehir to join Karacabey Belediyespor. During the 2018-19 season, he played a total of 35 matches in the 3rd League promotion play-offs and the Turkish Cup, contributing five goals. In the summer of 2019, he transferred for free to 24 Erzincanspor, where he played 34 matches during the 2019-20 season, scoring 20 goals and providing one assist. On October 2, 2020, he transferred to Galatasaray again for free.

In the 2020-21 season, Akturkoglu played 29 matches for Galatasaray, scoring six goals and providing three assists. He also made his debut for the national team that year against Montenegro. In the 2021-22 season, he played a total of 52 matches with Galatasaray, including UEFA Champions League qualifiers and UEFA Europa League matches, contributing 13 goals and the same number of assists.

In the 2022-23 season, he became the team’s third captain. Throughout the season, Akturkoglu scored 10 goals and made 14 assists in 38 matches, winning his first trophy with Galatasaray as they claimed the Super Lig title, while also becoming the top assist provider in the league. In the 2023-24 season, he was promoted to the role of second captain and, at the end of the season, secured his second Süper Lig championship. On September 3, 2024, he transferred to the Portuguese club Benfica.

Early Years

Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu was born on October 21, 1998, in Izmit, as the son of Omer Faruk, who is from Rize, and Filiz Akturkoglu, who is from Trabzon. He is the third child in a family of four, having two older brothers, Rıdvan, born in 1991, and Selim, born in 1994, as well as a younger sister. On August 17, 1999, during the Golcuk earthquake, Akturkoglu was trapped under rubble but was rescued by his grandfather, Mustafa Akturkoglu. He completed his primary education at Karakopru Primary School in Golcuk.

Club Career

Youth and Early Years

Akturkoglu began his football career in late 2011 with the youth team of Golcukspor and transferred to Hisareynspor in 2013. On September 5, 2014, he signed a contract with Istanbul Basaksehir and started playing for the U-17 team. He signed a professional contract with the club in 2015. During his four years at Basaksehir, he did not play a single match. In an interview with VOLE in April 2022, he claimed that his “four years were stolen” at Basaksehir, where he nearly quit football due to the “hierarchy,” alleging that older players exerted authority over younger ones under coach Abdullah Avci, who also had Emre Belozoglu in the squad. In response, Belozoglu stated he didn’t know what Kerem had experienced but noted that he would “regret” what he said in the future and that it should not have been said.

In July 2016, he was loaned to Bodrumspor, a third-division team. Wearing the number 11, he made his professional debut in a Turkish Cup match against Sarıyer as a substitute. Throughout the season, he regularly played off the bench and scored his first goal in a 3-1 away victory against Turk Metal Kırıkkalespor. He also scored in matches against Pazarspor, Manisa Büyükşehir Belediyespor, and Derincespor. He played a total of 27 league matches and scored 4 goals throughout the season.

Karacabey Belediyespor

In August 2018, he transferred to Karacabey Belediyespor, another third-division club, for free. Taking on the new number 10 jersey, Akturkoglu played the full 90 minutes in his first match against Cankaya. During the 2018-19 season, he appeared in a total of 35 matches, including league group playoffs and the Turkish Cup. He scored his first goal against 1461 Trabzon. In addition to scoring against Fatsa Belediyespor and 1461 Trabzon, he provided assists against Turgutluspor and Serik Belediyespor in the playoffs. Overall, he made 35 official appearances, contributing 3 goals and 2 assists. Despite playing in the playoff round, Karacabey Belediyespor was eliminated by Serik Belediyespor and did not get promoted to the higher league.

24 Erzincanspor

On August 9, 2019, he transferred to 24 Erzincanspor, a third-division team, also for free. Wearing the number 9 jersey, he made his debut against Serik Belediyespor and played the full match. After scoring goals at weekly intervals, he had a streak of five consecutive matches with goals. On December 5, 2019, he faced Beşiktaş in the Turkish Cup but did not contribute to the score, and despite losing 3-0, his performance caught the interest of various Super Lig teams. In the playoff semifinals, he scored three goals against Artvin Hopaspor, marking his first hat trick and leading his team to the finals. In the final, he helped 24 Erzincanspor defeat 68 Aksaray Belediyespor 2-1, earning promotion to the 2nd League. Throughout the 2019-20 season, he played 34 matches for 24 Erzincanspor, scoring 20 goals and providing 1 assist, becoming the top scorer in the third division.

Galatasaray

2020-21 Season

After his contract with 24 Erzincanspor ended, Akturkoglu signed a four-year deal with Super Lig team Galatasaray ahead of the 2020-21 season. According to the contract, he would earn ₺850,000 in his first season, ₺900,000 in the second, and ₺950,000 in both the third and fourth seasons. He took the number 18 jersey.

Akturkoglu made his debut for Galatasaray on November 23, 2020, in a 1-1 draw against Kayserispor in the ninth week. He scored his first goal for the club in his third appearance during the 11th-week match against Hatayspor. Shortly after that match, he tested positive for COVID-19, which kept him out of action for three weeks. Upon returning to training, he entered the game against Gençlerbirliği in the 65th minute during the 18th week and assisted Ryan Babel’s sixth goal just two minutes later. Akturkoglu also provided an assist in the 22nd week and scored in the matches against Kasımpaşa in the 25th week and MKE Ankaragücü in the 28th week.

On April 17, 2021, he scored three goals in a match against Goztepe, marking his second career hat trick and his first for Galatasaray. He became the first Turkish player to score a hat trick for Galatasaray since Yasin Oztekin did so in December 2016. Additionally, he was the only Turkish player to achieve a hat trick in the 2020-21 Super Lig.

2021-22 Season

In his second season with the team, Akturkoglu took the number 7 jersey. He began the 2021-22 season on July 21 with a UEFA Champions League qualifying match against PSV. Despite playing 89 minutes in the first away match, Galatasaray lost 5-1. In the next week’s match, they lost 2-1, resulting in their elimination from the Champions League and entry into the third qualifying round of the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League. In the Europa League qualifiers on August 5, he assisted Sacha Boey’s equalizing goal in the match against St. Johnstone. In the return leg of the tie, Galatasaray won 4-2, with Akturkoglu contributing one goal and two assists.

Galatasaray

2021-22 Season

In the season’s first league match against Giresunspor, Akturkoglu played for 65 minutes and was attacked by his teammate Marcão in the 62nd minute. The fight was broken up by Galatasaray players. Referee Erkan Ozdamar reviewed the incident after a VAR warning and showed Marcão a red card. Three minutes later, Akturkoglu couldn’t continue and was substituted by coach Fatih Terim. The next day, Marcão apologized to Akturkoglu and his family via social media. Two days later, the club announced Marcão’s indefinite suspension from the squad. On August 19, the Turkish Football Federation imposed an 8-match ban and a fine of ₺21,000 on Marcão. On September 9, before the Galatasaray training session, Marcão apologized to Kerem in front of the whole team, and they hugged.

Akturkoglu scored from outside the box in the UEFA Europa League playoff match against Randers, which ended in a 1-1 draw. In the return match, he played for 45 minutes, and Galatasaray won 2-1, securing a spot in the Europa League group stage. He scored his first league goal in the 3rd week against Kasımpaşa, netting one goal against Lokomotiv Moscow in the Europa League Group E match, providing one assist in the 10th week’s Beşiktaş derby, and scoring again in the 13th week’s Fenerbahce derby. He also assisted Sofiane Feghouli in the Marseille match on November 25. Due to social media comparisons labeling him as “the magician” and “Kerem Potter” (a blend of Harry Potter and his name), Akturkoglu celebrated a goal on December 25 against Antalyaspor with the “Expelliarmus” gesture.

He played 74 minutes in the Turkish Cup match against Denizlispor, but the team was eliminated in a penalty shootout, losing 8-9. On January 10, 2022, it was announced that coach Terim’s contract had been terminated, and the next day, Domènec Torrent was appointed as the new coach. In the 2-1 Beşiktaş derby on March 14, 2022, he scored two goals. At the end of the season, Galatasaray finished 13th in the league. Akturkoglu missed only one match due to a yellow card, appearing in a total of 52 matches, setting a record for the most appearances in a season in Galatasaray’s history. He scored a total of 13 goals and provided the same number of assists across the Super Lig, UEFA Europa League, and qualifiers.

2022-23 Season

After finishing 13th, Galatasaray appointed Okan Buruk as head coach to fill the vacant position left by Torrent and restructured the squad. In the first five weeks of the season, Akturkoglu didn’t contribute to the score. He scored his first two goals of the 2022-23 season in the 6th week against Kasımpaşa. On December 15, 2022, it was announced that he became the third captain of Galatasaray after Fernando Muslera and Bafétimbi Gomis. Akturkoglu entered the break for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a three-goal performance in the 0-7 win against Başakşehir, showcasing a good partnership with Mauro Icardi, who assisted him twice in that match. At the end of the game, Akturkoglu took the match ball home. He scored one goal each in the 3-0 win against Fenerbahce on January 8 and the 4-0 win against Hatayspor, as well as providing an assist in the Antalyaspor match.

Following the Kahramanmaras earthquakes, when the league resumed, Akturkoglu contributed one assist in the Konyaspor match, one goal and two assists against Adana Demirspor, two assists against Alanyaspor, and one goal against Fatih Karagümrük. He also provided one assist each in the İstanbulspor and Sivasspor matches. In the next week, he had a remarkable performance with three assists in the MKE Ankaragücü match, which secured Galatasaray’s 23rd championship with a 4-1 victory, and one assist in the 3-0 win over Fenerbahce, which also crowned Galatasaray as champions.

In the 2022-23 season, as the third captain, Akturkoglu played 38 matches, contributing 10 goals and 14 assists to his team. At the end of the season, he experienced his first Süper Lig championship and became the assist king of the league with 12 assists. Akturkoglu entered the 23rd championship celebration of Galatasaray with the UEFA Champions League anthem, having every player choose their entrance song.

2023-24 Season

At the end of the 2022-23 season, with Bafétimbi Gomis leaving the club, he became the second captain of the team. He started the season’s first match on July 25, 2023, against Žalgiris in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, playing the entire match. In the return leg, he assisted Dries Mertens’ goal from a corner that eliminated Žalgiris, and Galatasaray won the match 1-0, progressing to the third qualifying round to face Olimpija Ljubljana. In the first leg on August 8, he scored the opening goal and assisted Halil Dervişoğlu’s header from a corner. Galatasaray won the away match 3-0. After a scoreless draw against Kayserispor, he assisted Mauro Icardi’s first goal in the match against Trabzonspor. He scored one goal in the 4th week against Gaziantep, contributed to two goals and one assist against Samsunspor, and made his Champions League debut on September 20 in the match against København, starting in the first eleven and playing 66 minutes.

In the match against Ankaragucu on September 30, he played in an offensive midfield position for the first time and scored his first Champions League goal in the 3-2 away victory against Manchester United on October 3, 2023. In the next six matches, playing in the same position, he didn’t contribute to the score. On November 29, in the home match against Manchester United that ended 3-3, he scored Galatasaray’s third goal from 19 meters, bringing his team back to parity. This goal was also selected by UEFA users as the best goal of the fifth week and later of the group stage. He scored one goal and provided one assist in the match against Adana Demirspor, and played the full 90 minutes in the return match against København, where Galatasaray lost 1-0 and finished third in the group, advancing to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

In the 17th week against Fatih Karagumruk, he captained the team for the first time due to Muslera’s injury and scored a goal in that match. On January 11, he received his first red card in his career due to a foul and then protesting to the referee, making him unavailable for the Kayserispor match. In the subsequent 21st and 22nd weeks, he scored two goals in consecutive matches against Trabzonspor and İstanbulspor. On February 15, he played 84 minutes in the 3-2 victory against Sparta Prague in the Europa League round of 32. In the return leg, the team lost 4-1 and was eliminated from the Europa League.

He scored two goals in the match against Antalyaspor on February 26. Between the 31st and 37th weeks, he was benched for six matches, coming on as a substitute to score a goal in the Pendikspor match and provide an assist in the Sivasspor match. In the 37th week, he was in the spotlight not only for his performance but also for discussions with some Fenerbahce players before and after the match. After the derby, he started in the Konyaspor match, which secured the championship, playing 88 minutes in the 3-1 win that clinched Galatasaray’s second league title.

In the 2023-24 season, Akturkoglu scored 12 goals and provided 7 assists in 37 matches in the Süper Lig and scored 2 goals in 6 matches in the Champions League, ending the season with 15 goals and 9 assists in a total of 54 matches. He also won the Super Cup, which was awarded due to Fenerbahce’s withdrawal in protest against the Turkish Football Federation. The day after the Super Lig concluded, on May 27, Akturkoglu entered Galatasaray’s 24th championship celebration with the song “Donence” by Barıs Manco.

Akturkoglu began the 2024-25 season with the Super Cup match against Besiktas on August 3, where he started in the first eleven and played 45 minutes in the 5-0 loss. On August 9, he came on as a substitute in the opening match of the new league season against Hatayspor. He scored one goal and provided one assist in the second week match against Konyaspor and in the fourth week match against Adana Demirspor. He also assisted in the away match against Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League playoff round on August 21, where Galatasaray lost 3-2.

Benfica

2024-25

Kerem Akturkoglu transferred to Benfica, a team from Portugal’s Primeira Liga, on September 3, 2024, for €12 million and signed a five-year contract. The agreement also included a clause that Galatasaray would receive 10% of the player’s next transfer fee. Thus, Akturkoglu became Galatasaray’s most valuable domestic player sale since Arda Turan’s transfer to Atlético Madrid in 2011. Akturkoglu made his first appearance in the Benfica jersey on September 14, starting in the lineup against CD Santa Clara, where he scored his first goal in the 27th minute with an assist from Orkun Kokcu. On September 19, he also scored a goal in the UEFA Champions League match against FK Crvena Zvezda and recorded two assists in the next league match against Boavista.

National Team Career

Kerem Akturkoglu made his debut with Turkey’s U18 national team in an international four-nation tournament match against the Netherlands on November 14, 2015. He played in both this match and another against Germany two days later, spending forty-five minutes on the field in each game. In February 2017, he played two matches against Greece with the U19 national team, scoring his first national goal in the second match, which ended in a 1-1 draw after Turkey lost the first match 3-2. He was included in the squad for the match against Austria in the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers but did not play.

His first match with the senior national team was a friendly against Azerbaijan on May 27, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was included in Turkey’s squad for the 2020 UEFA European Championship held in June and July 2021, but he did not get any playing time as the national team lost all three of their group matches and were eliminated. On September 9, 2021, he made his official debut in the national team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Regularly getting playing time in the qualifiers, Akturkoglu scored his first goal for the national team against Norway on October 8. He found the net again in the 6-0 win against Gibraltar and the 2-1 win against Montenegro, wearing the number 7 jersey.

In the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League C, he provided assists in matches against Lithuania and Luxembourg and scored the winning goal against Armenia. On October 15, 2023, he scored in a 4-0 victory over Latvia, bringing his total contributions to the A national team to 5 goals and 2 assists.

Akturkoglu was included in Turkey’s squad for the 2024 UEFA European Championship under coach Vincenzo Montella. He came on as a substitute in the 85th minute of Turkey’s first group match on June 28, where they won 3-1 against Georgia, scoring the final goal of the match. With this goal, he scored in his first match at a European Championship. He started in the second match against Portugal, which Turkey lost 3-0, and later participated as a substitute in the last group match against Czechia, which Turkey won 2-1, as well as in the Round of 16 match against Austria, which also ended 2-1 in Turkey’s favor, and in the quarterfinal match against the Netherlands, which Turkey lost 2-1.

In the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League B, Akturkoglu scored a hat-trick in Turkey’s 3-1 victory over Iceland, marking his first hat-trick for the national team and making him the 15th domestic player to achieve this feat. This performance garnered attention from the Portuguese press before he even donned the Benfica jersey.

Personal Life

In an interview broadcasted on Galatasaray TV on March 19, 2023, Kerem Akturkoglu expressed his deep love for his family, especially his father, Ömer Faruk Akturkoglu, who has been attending matches with him since he was 15 years old. He stated that he wanted to fulfill his dreams mainly for his father. In the same interview, he mentioned that the teammate he got along with best was Yunus Akgün, whom he considers a “brother,” and that he shares a “brotherly relationship” with Bafétimbi Gomis. He also said that he had a good understanding on the field with Mauro Icardi, as he felt their playing styles were similar. He added that he prefers staying home and playing computer games over going out in his free time. In a statement made on a YouTube channel on December 19, 2023, he shared that his gaming journey began with Counter-Strike and that he was currently playing Valorant.

As a Muslim, Kerem Akturkoglu shared a photo of his visit to the Kaaba on social media during the break for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on November 25, 2022. During the Hamas-Israel War, which began on October 7, 2023, he posted various messages supporting Palestine and condemning Israel on social media. He dedicated a goal he scored in a match where Galatasaray drew 3-3 with Manchester United to Palestinian children. He also participated in Galatasaray’s 24th championship celebrations on May 27, 2024, wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh on his wrist and shared a photo on social media with teammate Hakim Ziyech, who appeared with the Palestinian flag.

Kerem Akturkoglu provided both financial and moral support to earthquake victims in the regions affected by the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquakes. In May 2023, he stated that he received a call from Erden Timur, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Galatasaray Sportif AS, on the day of the earthquake and later decided to go to the earthquake site after consulting with first captains Muslera and Gomis and then with his family. He participated in the “We are Together” campaign, which encouraged citizens to open their homes to those who lost theirs in the earthquake, and went to the earthquake zone in Hatay through Galatasaray to provide manpower and moral support. He also donated the match ball he took home after scoring three goals in a match against Basaksehir to an auction aimed at helping earthquake victims.

In 2022, he appeared in a Trendyol advertisement alongside İrfan Can Kahveci and Atiba Hutchinson. On August 3, 2023, he also participated in a beIN Sports advertisement with teammate Dries Mertens for the start of the 2023-24 Super Lig season.

Achievements

Galatasaray

•   Super Lig: 2022-23, 2023-24
•   Super Cup: 2023

Individual

•   Super Lig Assists Leader: 2022-23
•   3rd League Goals Leader: 2019-20