Akyel is one of the younger members of the Turkish side.

He is a regular on the right side of defence.

The defender made his full Galatasaray debut at the start of the 1997/98 campaign and, within days, earned his first international cap, coming on as a 63rd minute substitute in the 6-4 defeat of Wales in Istanbul.

As with so many of the top Turkey internationals, he made a move to La Primera Liga after winning the Uefa Cup with Gala, and joined Real Mallorca before going back to Turkey to join Fenerbahce in the middle of the 2001/2002 season.