AMSTERDAM, June 25 (Reuters) - Mustafa Denizli's compatriots may have to forgive the Turkish coach if he returns to Istanbul from Euro 2000 with a smug smile.

After having a torrent of abuse and scorn heaped on his head during the early stages of the tournament, Denizli knows he has delivered where others failed.

'At Euro 96 we did not win or score a goal,' he declared before the competition. 'So we have three aims. To score, take points and if possible qualify for the quarter-finals. Then we'll see.'

His side lost 2-1 in the opening game to Italy, who have now reached the semifinals without dropping a point, following a controversial penalty decision.

Even at that point, the spectre of Euro 96 was conquered with Turkey's historic first goal scored by Okan Buruk with a 61st minute header.

Objective One was achieved.

Against Sweden, Turkey took the next step with the worst game of the tournament to date - a 0-0 draw that nonetheless brought them their first point.

The breakthrough came against Belgium when tall striker Hakan Sukur finally lived up to his pre-match hype and scored twice to knock the co-hosts out and put the Turks into the quarter-finals.

At that point, Turkey had made history and Denizli realised he would be going home a hero and not a has-been.

The 2-0 defeat to Portugal in Saturday's quarter-final will not have changed that.

As Turkish players scanned the newspapers in their Amsterdam hotel on Sunday, team spokesman Turgay Vardar said they expected a good reception in Istanbul later.

'I hope so. They made history. They reached a quarter-final for the first time,' he said.

It has been a great year for Turkish soccer, notwithstanding the trouble with English fans that led to the stabbing deaths of two Leeds United supporters in Istanbul ahead of a UEFA Cup clash with Galatasaray.

Galatasaray, the source of most of the national team players, went on to beat England's Arsenal in the final to become the first Turkish side to win a European trophy.

Several internationals are now likely to head abroad, with Hakan Sukur seemingly Italy-bound.

Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim is moving to Italy's Fiorentina and Denizli has made no secret that he would relish the chance of a move abroad should it be offered.

Turkey, whose supporters' crazed belief in their team's abilities was never matched by reality in the past, have progressed dramatically over the past decade.

Much is due to their adoption, like the Portuguese, of a strong youth policy and the demographic fact that Turkey is a youthful country with a passion for the sport.

Curiously, England may also have played a part.

In 1984, in a World Cup qualifier in Istanbul, England thrashed Turkey 8-0. They won 5-0 in the home leg at Wembley the following year and then 8-0 again at Wembley in 1987 in a European Championship qualifier.

Denizli reflected on the latter defeat, marking it down in his mind as a watershed for his country.

'Our defeat in England motivated us very much,' he said. 'Turkey needed a change in philosophy. We lost the match but gained new horizons.'

Much the same thing could be said after the 2-0 defeat, with just 10 men, at the Amsterdam Arena.

Turkey leave Euro 2000 with a new benchmark.