He competed in the double sculls at the 1936 Olympics, together with Bill Dixon, and finished sixth.

[5] Although he was the 1935 Australian single-sculls champion, Turner was beaten in selection trials for the 1936 Summer Olympics by Cecil Pearce.

However the AOF selection committee preferred to see Pearce focus on the single and Turner rowed the double with the Bill Dixon the reserve for the men's eight.

[6] Though Dixon had not sculled before selection, he and Turner were the best performers of the three Australian boats in Berlin.

[6] In 1938 Turner was Australia's single sculls entrant for the 1938 Commonwealth Games where he won the gold medal beating the British sculler Peter H. Jackson by five lengths in the final.