The Türkiye National Basketball Team on Monday beat Serbia 94-86 to seal round two of the FIBA 2027 World Cup Qualifiers.

In the European Qualifiers Group C game, the first quarter ended 28-21 in favor of Türkiye, but Serbia responded strongly by taking the second quarter 23-20 at Istanbul’s Turkcell Basketball Development Center.

Carrying a 48-44 lead into halftime, the Turkish national team maintained its momentum and never looked back, bouncing back in the third quarter with a 28-19 run.

Serbia took the final quarter 23-18, but Türkiye still claimed the home court win.

Turkish forward Tarık Biberovic delivered an outstanding performance with 21 points, five assists, and five rebounds.

Ömer Yurtseven racked up 17 points, Şehmus Hazer scored 15, and Cedi Osman netted 13 points to lead the hosts to victory.

For the losing side, Aleksa Avramovic was the Serbians’ highest scorer with 16 points and nine assists.

Ognjen Dobric scored 14 points while Dejan Davidovac helped his team with 12 points in the away loss.

Meanwhile, Türkiye’s Yurtseven was disqualified after picking up five fouls.

The win kept the Turkish national team unbeaten at the top of the group with four victories, while Serbia suffered their second loss.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday expressed deep sorrow over the civilian suffering in Iran, adding that Türkiye will step up its diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire to help bring peace.

“We share the pain of the Iranian people. We are deeply saddened to witness this suffering, where it is the civilians, innocent children who bear the burden of the conflict,” Erdoğan said at an event in the capital Ankara.

Türkiye will intensify diplomatic contacts until a ceasefire is established and calm is restored in the region, Erdoğan vowed.

“We stand on the side of peace, we want bloodshed to stop, tears to cease, and for our region to finally attain that lasting peace it has so long yearned for,” he said.

The president underlined that Türkiye’s priority is securing a ceasefire and opening the door to dialogue.

“If the necessary intervention is not made, the conflict will have serious consequences for regional and global security,” Erdoğan said.

“No one can bear the economic and geopolitical uncertainties that such a process would bring about. That is why this fire must be extinguished before it spreads any further.”

Joint US-Israeli strikes since Saturday have reportedly killed several senior Iranian officials, including Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities. Four US service members have been killed and four others seriously injured.

The Iranian Red Crescent said the death toll from US and Israeli airstrikes since Saturday has risen to 555.

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday discussed regional issues over phone calls with his Bulgarian and Azerbaijani counterparts, according to the Turkish diplomatic sources.

Fidan discussed the latest developments, efforts to end attacks in the region and their consequences with Azerbaijan’s Jeyhun Bayramov, and Bulgaria’s Nadejda Neynski, the sources added.

Regional tensions escalated Saturday after the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran claiming to remove threats, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated with a series of drone and missile attacks that targeted Israel, and several Gulf countries, which are home to US military assets.

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a series of phone calls with US, Gulf, and European leaders following attacks launched by Israel and the US against Iran, as well as Iran’s subsequent retaliation, Turkish Communications Directorate said on Sunday.

Erdogan spoke with US President Donald Trump, discussing the latest situation in Iran and the Gulf region, and ongoing developments.

In a call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Erdogan extended his well-wishes following attacks on Qatar, and also received information on the situation in Qatar.

The Turkish president also expressed his condolences to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over attacks targeting their countries, discussing the regional situation during the talks.

In his conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Erdogan warned that, unless necessary intervention is made, the conflict could have serious regional and global security consequences.

He stressed that Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have exerted serious efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue and that giving diplomacy a chance remains the most rational course.

Erdogan also spoke with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, expressing his sorrow and conveying well wishes over attacks on Kuwait.

During his call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Erdogan discussed the attacks on Iran and the subsequent conflict, reiterating that Ankara calls on all parties to return to diplomacy and negotiations and stands ready to support peace efforts.

He underlined the importance of close coordination between Türkiye and the EU during the process.

The joint US-Israeli military campaign launched on Saturday has killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Gulf countries. Three US service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded.