Sport in Turkey

Be?ikta? will play against Fenerbahçe this weekend in a crucial game for the Spor Toto Super League title race, the only target the Istanbul club now has for this season after being knocked out of Europa League competition.

The 24 best athletes of the Turkish Basketball League (TBL) from eight different nations are set to enjoy the All-Star game festivities in Ankara that kick off on Jan. 18.

Players competing for TBL clubs based in Europe will take on representatives of the league's Asian-based clubs.

Galatasaray Liv Hospital will take on Red Star Belgrade in a Turkish Airlines Euroleague Last 16 game tonight, amid security concerns following the murder of a Serbian fan in Istanbul in the last meeting between the two sides.

The chairman of Serbia's Red Star basketball club has voiced his hope that there will be no negative incidents surrounding an upcoming Turkish Airlines Euroleague Last 16 game in Belgrade against Galatasaray, which comes after the murder of a Serbian fan in Istanbul on Nov. 21, 2014, when the sides last met.

When Beşiktaş hosts Galatasaray in an Istanbul derby this weekend, both sides will be aiming for a victory to enter the winter break atop the Spor Toto Super League standings.

Leader Beşiktaş has 35 points from 15 games this season ahead of the game on Jan. 4 against city rival Galatasaray, which sits in third place with 32 points.

Trabzonspor showed no mercy to Manisaspor in a Ziraat Turkey Cup game Dec. 25, triggering a hot debate between the respective managers about the ethics of running up the goal tally.

Beşiktaş’s defensive midfielder Veli Kavlak hit the headlines Dec. 25 not for any great play in his side’s loss to Adana Demirspor, but a rare objection to the referee to prevent a rival from receiving a red card.

Turkey's last remaining participants in European competition, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor, will face difficult respective tests against Liverpool and Napoli in the Europa League Round of 32 following a draw on Dec. 15 in Nyon, Switzerland.

BELGRADE - The Euroleague has made a shameful decision to punish not only Galatasaray, but also Red Star for the clashes of fans in Istanbul when Marko Ivkovic, a 25-year-old supporter of the Serbian club, was killed before the game, Nebojsa Covic, president of the Red Star basketball club, has said.

Galatasaray has already lost any chances of continuing its European campaign this season, but the Istanbul club will try to bow out with a victory when it hosts Arsenal tonight for a Champions League Group D game.