After his participation at the 1989 World Weightlifting Championships, he defected from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and immigrated to Turkey. He earned his first medal for Turkey in gold in the -56 kg snatch division at the 1990 World Weightlifting Championships held in Budapest, Hungary. Unfortunately, he broke his arm during the clean and jerk session. He received various medals in world and European championships, and became twice more European champion, at the 1991 European Weightlifting Championships in Władysławowo, Poland in the -56 kg division and at the 1997 European Weightlifting Championships in Rijeka, Croatia in the -64 kg division.