Süper Lig powerhouse Istanbul Başakşehir football club signed Monday Turkish midfielder Mehmet Topal on a free transfer. The club on is website confirmed that it secured the services of the 33-year-old defensive midfielder in a 1+1 year contract. Club chair Göksel Gümüşdağ said they are very happy to have Topal, He praised the player for his contributions in the Turkish national football team for nearly a decade.

Topal previously played for Turkish Süper Lig giants like Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe as well as Spanish club Valencia. From 2006 to 2010 he played for Galatasaray, before joining Valencia. In July 2012, Topal returned to Turkey to play for Fenerbahçe. During his seven-year spell at Fenerbahçe, he scored 24 goals and produced 25 assists in 298 club appearances. He won two Turkish Süper Lig titles – one with Galatasaray (2008) and the other with Fenerbahçe (2014).

Topal was a free agent after Fenerbahçe mutually terminated his contract in June. He played for the Turkey national team in the UEFA Euro 2008, helping the Turkish team reach semifinals in this tournament co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland.