hɪz fˈɜːst klˈʌb ɪn tˈɜːki wʌz ɡˈælɐtˌæsɐɹˌeɪ ˈɛs.kˈeɪ., hˈuːm hiː sˈaɪnd fɔːɹ ɪn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks bˌʌt dɪdnˌɑːt plˈeɪ ɐ sˈɪŋɡəl ɡˈeɪm.
His first club in Turkey was Galatasaray S.K., whom he signed for in December 1996 but did not play a single game.