Iskit-Caliskan: “We are going there to take second place, not third”

But Asli Iskit-Caliskan, Türkiye’s top scorer in the qualifiers and third on the overall scorer ranking, says her team are not going into round 6 hoping to go through as a best third-ranked side — they want second position, and their upcoming match against Serbia, in Serbia, is absolutely a final.

“We will really try to be number two. Of course, it’s always good to go there, because this will be historic — our first time. Can you imagine what we will make for our country? It’s crazy. Everybody is so excited for it. I cannot explain to you — everybody is focusing for it. But I cannot say that it doesn’t matter; that we can also go from the third position to the championship. We will try to be there in the second position,” says Iskit-Caliskan. “It’s tough. We know. But we will do our best. We are not going there to be chill.”

Türkiye have never had such a successful qualifiers campaign. 2012 was the last time they recorded two wins in this phase. This time around, they have taken two wins and one draw. The two victories were against Bulgaria in rounds 3 and 4, directly after the key match that has put them in the promising position they are now, when they drew 29:29 against Serbia. The two defeats were to group leaders and winners Montenegro, with the latest, on Wednesday, very close, finishing 28:30.

“It was great game, but we couldn't finish good. It’s a little bit sad,” says Iskit-Caliskan, who highlights how important qualifying for the EURO would be. It is not only a reward for the hard work of everyone involved with the team and the federation but would help garner more attention and resources for the side. “Everything, I think, is coming all together. We need a little bit more results.”

At 30, Iskit-Caliskan is a stalwart in the national team and has long been one of their most dangerous scorers. In the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, she has netted 33 goals so far. Having been around for a while, Iskit-Caliskan has seen the team change, and highlights increased depth in the squad as a key for their clear development.

“The federation has been working for it really tough. They want to build the team and we have so many players, actually. Normally in Türkiye it’s hard to find players,” says Iskit-Caliskan. “This time I think we really got a good generation. This is also important. We have really good young players.

“I think this qualification we changed 30 players who came to the list. Not just always 16 players the same. We have so many. We are fighting for it. So many young players. Even the goalkeepers are changing. I think, who is in the starting seven, if we were looking at the last three games, every time it's different.

“When we played against Montenegro (in round 5), I can tell you, we used all the bench — 16 players. Everybody scored, everybody changed. I will compare with Montenegro — they almost played with the same players, but we used all of us. I think it was also good to save energy for Serbia, because we have one tough game in Serbia.”

The fact that there are so many in the squad adds a healthy element of competition within the team itself, as the players must fight for their positions with their performances. That in turn raises the level of the team overall. “When you have so many players, to fight for your position, our performance is going higher and higher. The trainer also is giving everybody a chance to show themselves,” adds Iskit-Caliskan.

For Iskit-Caliskan, a successful qualification would not only be about the now, but what is coming. What is coming includes a home EHF EURO in 2026, as Türkiye will co-host with Czechia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. “For the future, the young players from Türkiye, we want to open this way for them.”

Seeing the audiences and enthusiastic support at Türkiye’s matches, it is clear there is keen interest from the public. For that reason, playing in different locations in the country is also important for showcasing the sport and how the national teams are rising.

“We want to give handball to all of Türkiye, all the public, not just to play in Ankara, in Antalya or Istanbul, because we are used to playing there. This is so important because they inspire us. They have a little bit of this energy inside coming from them. I think this is a characteristic for Turkish people. They are really hungry to win. They really want to get success. And they’re always supporting us. This is so important for us,” she says.

Türkiye will play the pivotal match against Serbia on Sunday in Zrenjanin. No doubt the home court may have played a role in the round 2 draw, but this time it will be Serbia profiting from the support. Iskit-Caliskan knows what to expect but is fully focused on a victory and the goal of achieving second place.

“We are speaking about Serbia, not some team. They are used to being in championships. They are always there,” says the left back. “It is an advantage, of course, for them to play at home. But we are also from Türkiye, you know. We are like fire inside, and if we will catch at the right time, we can surprise them. I swear we will do our best. We are going there to take second position, not third.”

photos © Türkiye Hentbol Federasyonu, Ekrem Ozsoy