Euro 2008 Qualifying:
Turkey finished second in Group C behind European champions Greece, but made heavy work of qualifying after a stirring start. Fatih Terim's team won their first three games without conceding a single goal, Hakan Şükür celebrating his 50th international goal when he struck four in the third of those wins, 5-0 win against Moldova. Things got even better when an under-strength Turkey side came from behind to beat Greece 4-1 in Athens in their first qualifier of 2007. They then lost their way, however, with a run of one win in six that included a 3-2 defeat in Bosnia-Herzegovina and then a humiliating 2-2 draw in Malta, where Turkey came from behind twice. Crisis talk intensified in October 2007 when a 1-1 draw in Moldova was followed by a 1-0 home defeat against Greece, which saw the European champions celebrate qualification in Istanbul. Having slipped to third in the section, Turkey reclaimed the initiative with a 2-1 win in Oslo in their penultimate qualifier. A 1-0 home victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in their final qualifier kept them a point above Norway in second place.

Best Euro Championship:
Turkey first participated in a UEFA European Championship final round at UEFA EURO '96, losing all three of their group matches, but they returned four years later and advanced as far as the quarter-finals, their best effort to date in the competition. Finishing second in their qualifying group, Turkey defeated the Republic of Ireland on away goals in their subsequent play-off to book their place at UEFA EURO 2000. Drawn in a group featuring Belgium, Italy and Sweden, Turkey took four points from their three games, defeating the tournament hosts 2-0 in their final game with two goals from Hakan Sükür (45, 70). Their reward was a quarter-final berth, but Turkey were defeated 2-0 by Portugal.