Key facts
• 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.
• Despite playing in all 13 UEFA European Championship qualifying rounds, Turkey’s first participation in a final tournament took place at UEFA EURO ’96.• Turkey have appeared in all 13 UEFA European Championship qualifying competitions. Prior to the finals of UEFA EURO 2008, they have played 95 matches. In that time, they had won 35, drawn 22 and lost 38 of those fixtures with 110 goals scored and 135 conceded.from: http://en.euro2008.uefa.com
