Head coach Emanuele Zanini has been striving to enhance the international status of the Turkey side since his appointment in August 2013. The Italian could be proud of his team on their World League debut last year when they reached the Final Four in Group 3 after finishing second in their pool behind Cuba. On home soil in Bursa, they swept Slovakia in their semifinal before losing in five sets to Cuba in the final. Zanini's side did not qualify for the 2014 World Championship but in the 2014 European League they finished fourth in Pool B behind Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria and eighth out of 10 teams overall.
The team's record in top-level competition dates back to the 1950s, when they finished 22nd in the 1956 World Championship and 12th in the 1958 European Championship. After competing in the 1963, 1967 and 1971 European Championships, they had to wait 36 years for their next appearance. Since that return in 2007, they have competed in every edition, most recently finishing 14th in 2013. They have made three appearances in the World Championship, losing to Russia, Australia and Serbia and Montenegro in their most recent campaign in 1998. Turkey finished an impressive sixth on home soil at the 2013 World Junior Championship.