Arda Turan was born on January 30, 1987, in the Bayrampaşa district of Istanbul. Arda began playing football with the neighborhood team Altıntepsi Makelspor and was quickly noticed for his talent, joining Galatasaray's youth academy at the age of 12. Rising quickly through the ranks of the yellow-and-red club's youth academy, Arda caught attention with his technical ability, game intelligence, and leadership qualities.