Benfica secured one of Turkish football's most productive wingers in September 2024, bringing Kerem Aktürkoğlu to the Estádio da Luz from Galatasaray.

Born in İzmit, he took a long road to the top, passing through Başakşehir's academy and the lower divisions with Bodrumspor, Karacabey Belediyespor and 24 Erzincanspor, where a prolific 2019/20 season earned him a free transfer to Galatasaray. In Istanbul he was voted Süper Lig Player of the Season in 2021/22 and won back-to-back league titles in 2023 and 2024, also wearing the captain's armband.

His Benfica adventure began emphatically with a hat-trick against Rio Ave in October 2024, and he closed his first season in red as a Taça da Liga winner. In September 2025 he returned to Turkey to join Fenerbahçe and is no longer a Benfica player.

An established Turkey international since 2021, he featured at UEFA Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 and scored the goal that sent his country to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.