Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul brought back a familiar face by signing forward Metecan Birsen for the next two seasons with an option for the third year, the club announced Tuesday. Birsen (2.08 meters, 26 years old) spent the last two years with Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir, where he averaged 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in the Turkish League, while posting 6.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in the Basketball Champions League. Birsen now returns to his boyhood club.
Birsen had a very successful career in the junior ranks. While playing for U18 Fenerbahce, as a 17-year old, he was the MVP of the 2012 Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals. He also made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut with Fenerbahce in the 2013-14 campaign, when he appeared in eight games. Birsen made seven more appearances with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the 2018-19 season. During his career Birsen has also played with Eskisehir, Istanbul BB and Sakarya Buyuksehir. As a standout in youth categories, Birsen helped Turkey to gold medals at the U18 European Championship in 2013 and the U20 European Championship in 2014.