By Ece Toksabay
ANKARA, April 1 (Reuters) - Turkey celebrated their return to the World Cup on Wednesday after ending a 24-year wait, with players and fans voicing pride and cautious ambition following their playoff victory over Kosovo.
Fans took to the streets across the country late on Tuesday, waving flags from cars and gathering on main avenues as Turkey secured qualification for only the third time in their history, reviving memories of their run to the semi-finals in 2002.
Captain Hakan Calhanoglu,
speaking after arriving in Istanbul with his team after their 1-0 win in Kosovo, said the immediate focus would be on progressing from the group stage.
"We will represent our country in the best way at the World Cup. We are very proud to bring this happiness to our nation," he said. "Our first target is to get out of the group. After that we will take it step by step. I believe in this team."
Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler, born in 2005, said the qualification carried deep emotional significance for the new generation of players who grew up watching highlights of Turkey's 2002 campaign.
"We have ended our longing. Maybe we didn't play well tonight but we went through," he said.
"When we watch the 2002 World Cup, it still gives us goosebumps. Now we have the same opportunity. We will try to do our best there without underestimating anyone."
In 2002, Turkey lost to eventual winners Brazil in the semi-finals and striker Hakan Sukur scored the fastest goal in World Cup history after 10.8 seconds in the third-place playoff against South Korea.
Sukur said on his YouTube channel that the current team could pose problems despite playing without a traditional striker, adding that facing non-European opponents Australia, the United States and Paraguay in the group stage would present different challenges.
Turkish media reflected the surge of optimism, with mainstream daily Milliyet carrying the front-page headline "Turkish cowboys, wait for us America", and Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu is aiming high.
"We will win the trophy and bring it home," he said.
(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Daren Butler and Ed Osmond)
