Turkish basketball is reaping the benefits of major investments made by top clubs over the recent years as several women's and men’s teams vie for top continental prizes this season.

While reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes is leading from the front in the men's continental competition, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Mersin Yenişehir Belediyespor all reached the Final Four of their respective tournaments but fell short of winning the trophy.

Bahçeşehir Koleji, in the meanwhile, brought the season’s first continental silverware after winning its first-ever FIBA ​​Europe Cup title.

The Istanbul-based club dominated the tournament throughout, winning 17 of the 18 matches played. It defeated Italy’s Reggio Emilia in the two-leg final, bringing Turkish basketball its 11th European trophy.

Efes eyes title defense

Another Istanbul-based heavyweight Efes is well on course to defending its EuroLeague title.

It clinched a third straight EuroLeague Final Four ticket after beating Italy's AX Armani Exchange Milan 3-1 in the playoff series last Thursday.

It will now face Olympiacos Piraeus from neighboring Greece in the Final four in Belgrade, Serbia from May 19-21.

If Efes can successfully defend the title, it’ll be a third overall championship for a Turkish team.

Fenerbahçe made history back in 2017 when it beat Olympiacos to become the first Turkish club to win the EuroLeague title.

Bursaspor on brink of history

Bursaspor, on the other hand, is having a breakout season in the second-tier ​​EuroCup.

The Green-Whites started the tournament as underdogs and beat favorites Partizan, Cedevita Olimpija and MoraBanc Andorra on its way to the final.

Bursaspor will now face Bologna, which features a number of EuroLeague stars on the roster, in the final.

Two other Turkish teams have won the EuroCup before, Galatasaray winning it in 2016 before Darüşşafaka clinched it in 2018.

3 teams in women’s Final Fours

In the women’s continental events, three Turkish teams, namely Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Mersin Yenişehir Belediyespor, made it to the EuroLeague Women’s Final Four.

Fenerbahçe made it to the final before falling to Hungary’s Sopron Basket.

In the ​​EuroCup Women, Galatasaray and Mersin Yenişehir Belediyespor played in the Final Four, coming third and fourth respectively.

"We are proud"

Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) President Hidayet Türkoğlu said they were proud of the clubs’ performance in Europe this season.

"We are very pleased with the level our basketball clubs have reached in Europe over the recent years. We congratulate all our clubs representing our country in Europe in the 2021-2022 season, and we are proud of their success," he told Anadolu Agency (AA).

He added that the fact there has been at least one Turkish team in the semifinals of every European tournament is no coincidence.

"This success is the result of the continuous investments, both financial and administrative. Now, there is at least one Turkish club among the favorites at every event, be it a men's or women’s tournament," he said.

"The TBF will continue to stand by the clubs and provide all kinds of support on their way to even more success," Türkoğlu said.