Sources: Turkey appoints Craft1x, Arkhe as coaches for its League of Legends national team at the Esports Nations Cup

Turkey has appointed Ali “Craft1x” Aklan as Head Coach and Emre “Arkhe” Akpınarlı as Assistant Coach for its League of Legends roster at the Esports Nations Cup, sources tell Sheep Esports. Both coaches were selected by Mert “Mert” Tanrıverdi, currently Manager of BBL Esports in VALORANT’s VCT and formerly a team manager in the LEC with and . Tanrıverdi himself was recently appointed National Team Manager of Türkiye following an extensive application process led by the EWC Foundation.

Craft1x, currently teamless, brings significant experience from both the LFL and TCL. He previously served as Head Coach of in France and İstanbul Wildcats in Turkey, notably lifting the EMEA Masters trophy in 2023 with the latter. Arkhe, meanwhile, made the step up to the LEC this year, joining as Assistant Coach. Before that, he also coached , guiding the team to a Top 2 finish in the TCL in 2025.

On paper, Turkey is poised to field one of the strongest lineups in the EMEA region, potentially featuring active LEC players in four out of five roles. In the jungle and midlane, and stand as clear frontrunners, though notable names such as and Can "Closer" Çelik remain options outside of the LEC.

The main challenge lies in choosing the right pieces in other roles, particularly in the toplane and support roles. Toplane offers a wealth of options, including , , , and . In support, and both present strong cases.

At AD Carry, the decision will likely come from the ERL scene. In Sheep Esports’ community poll, leads with 35% of the vote and is currently performing at a top-three level at EMEA Masters. Ultimately, however, the final call will rest with Mert and his coaching staff.

The full roster has yet to be finalized, but Sheep Esports will continue to provide updates on Turkey and the other national teams set to compete at the Esports Nations Cup in November 2026.