Turkish star Ibrahim Kutluay sees this week’s games against Germany as the perfect measuring stick for his team with the European Championships quickly approaching.

The Turks fell one victory short of the title two years ago when they hosted Eurobasket and they are among a group of teams harbouring hopes of lifting the crown next month in the Sweden.

Turkey prevailed just once - against Sweden - in the Bari Tournament in Italy last week while Lithuania triumphed three times and Italy tasted victory twice. None of the teams, however, placed too much importance on the results.

The exertions in Germany should be more revealing, Kutluay says.

Turkey are training for three days before playing the Germans here in Nurnberg on Friday
and Saturday.

"The German games will be a measure for us," Kutluay said.

"They have became a power in world basketball in recent times."

National team boss Aydin Ors, whose men finished second in Group A to Lithuania in qualifying for the European Championships, will have to do without a couple of players in Germany. The team doctor has instructed him to remove Alper Yilmaz from the squad because he is unfit while Kerem Tunceri has been forced to go into hospital due to a high fever.