A defensive midfielder, he was nicknamed Örümcek (Turkish: Spider) for his ability to use his long legs to win loose balls or cut passes.

[1][2] Topal started his senior career at Dardanelspor, and went on to represent Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, İstanbul Başakşehir, and Beşiktaş, respectively, totalling seven major trophies in his native country.

In September 2006, Topal joined Süper Lig powerhouse Galatasaray SK, moving to the club alongside Japanese Junichi Inamoto.

However, due to an injury to Swedish international Tobias Linderoth, he was handed his chance in the starting XI, later commenting on his teammate: "He helped me a lot, told me about the areas I should improve and how to do so.

In the 2008 summer transfer window, there were rumours surrounding a move to Everton in the Premier League, with David Moyes apparently keen to bring the player to Goodison Park.

[7] On 14 September, he made he first UEFA Champions League appearance with his new club, playing the full 90 minutes against Turkish side Bursaspor in a 4–0 group stage win.

On 11 August 2015, whilst he drove home after training accompanied by youth player Uygar Mert, Topal's car was shot at by unknown men.

Shortly after, he was selected by manager Fatih Terim for his UEFA Euro 2008 squad,[24] playing all the games in Austria and Switzerland but one for the eventual semi-finalists.