Turkey's national team are to have commemorative coins minted in their honour amid a wave of national joy at the team's third place in the World Cup finals.

Turkey beat co-hosts South Korea 3-2 on Saturday to claim third place in the country's first finals since 1954. They were greeted by thousands of jubilant supporters on their return to Istanbul late on Sunday after their plane received an escort from an F-16 fighter jet.

"An F-16 welcome," was the headline in popular national daily Hurriyet on Monday. "They have forced the world to commit the name of the Turk to memory."

The Turkish Treasury said in a statement on Monday it was printing "third in the world" commemorative coins which will be put on sale after a ceremony later in the day.

"We watched with pride and joined in heartfelt celebration of the team's third place in the World Cup competition," armed forces Chief of General Staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu said in a weekend statement.

Turkey are 25-1 outsiders for Euro 2004 with English bookmakers William Hill, despite finishing as the second most successful European team in Japan and South Korea.

The Turks will be looking for their first victory against England when they meet Sven-Goran Eriksson's side in the qualifying stages.