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Galatasaray believes it can become the first Turkish basketball club to join NBA Europe, a proposed continental competition expected to get underway next year, according to board member Mecit Mert Cetinkaya.
Cetinkaya, who oversees basketball operations at the Istanbul club, said Galatasaray had emerged as one of the leading candidates for the project following talks and presentations carried out by the current and previous administrations.
He said the proposal had received a positive response, although negotiations over the business model and financial terms were still continuing.
“If we can make the numbers work, hopefully Galatasaray will be the first Turkish team to take part in NBA Europe next year,” Cetinkaya said.
Galatasaray would need to set up a separate basketball joint-stock company, referred to as Basketbol AS, as part of the planned structure.
Cetinkaya said investment funds could take shares in the new company, while Galatasaray would also need to acquire an equity position in the NBA venture. More time would therefore be required before the process could be fully settled.
He described NBA Europe membership as a potential turning point that could move Galatasaray basketball into a new stage both financially and competitively.
The club is also moving forward with its large-scale Aslantepe facilities project, which will bring together basketball, volleyball, athletics, swimming, water polo and other amateur sports branches.
Construction has started, financing has been arranged and the basketball arena is expected to be completed during the first phase. Cetinkaya said the entire project could take around three years.
He added that entering NBA Europe and opening the new arena would help Galatasaray build up its basketball operations while supporting the wider development of its amateur branches.
Galatasaray has retained Italian head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco and appointed former Turkish Basketball Federation league director Ozgun Onver to help oversee the sporting structure.
Cetinkaya said the club was trying to put together a team built around character, resilience and strong relationships, rather than focusing only on individual playing quality.
The club has brought in Bugrahan Tuncer, Sehmus Hazer, Chimezie Metu, Dyshawn Pierre and Marko Nikolic. Cetinkaya said Galatasaray planned to add three more players: two centers and a guard capable of creating and scoring.
An agreement with one center, described as a EuroLeague-level player, was close and could be announced within days, while the remaining moves were expected to be wrapped up later.
Cetinkaya also revealed that Galatasaray football forward Victor Osimhen had helped with the effort to bring in Metu, underlining how different figures within the club had taken part in transfer negotiations.
Galatasaray expects its men's basketball budget to rise above last season's approved level through new sponsorship agreements and higher matchday revenue.
The club has already signed deals with three sponsors and plans to add three more shortly. Cetinkaya said the sponsor count would eventually rise to seven, excluding MCT Technic.
Although some rivals could operate with budgets three or four times larger, he said Galatasaray would aim to use its available resources efficiently and put together a team capable of challenging them.
Galatasaray is also aiming for success in women's basketball after losing both the European and Turkish league finals last season.
Cetinkaya said a stronger roster had been assembled and expressed confidence that the team could compete for both trophies during the new campaign.
He added that Galatasaray expected to maintain positive relations with the Turkish Basketball Federation, where he previously worked alongside federation President Hidayet Turkoglu for nearly a decade.
The club also hopes that a more competitive team will draw supporters back to the stands and help revive the atmosphere once associated with Galatasaray basketball games at Istanbul's former Abdi Ipekci Sports Hall.
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