News that the Turkish Football Federation has officially placed a bid for Euro 2020 has prompted a response from Istanbul 2020.
In a press release Tuesday, the Istanbul 2020 bid committee said it was aware of the Turkish Football Federation’s bid, calling it “not unexpected news” and that it did not change any aspect of Istanbul’s bid for the 2020 Olympic Games.
The press release says “Istanbul 2020 and all its private and public sector stakeholders remain totally committed to bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Turkey for the first time in 2020. Turkey’s Prime Minister, every level of government, and every party is aligned behind the bid team and that unequivocal support will remain guaranteed throughout the bid process”.
Turkey has guaranteed that if Istanbul is chosen host city for the 2020 Games in September 2013 no other important national or international event will take place in Istanbul or its vicinity around the Games period, and that the guarantee would form part of the host city contract and has been personally endorsed by the Prime Minister.
Istanbul 2020 says its still 100 per cent “focused on our top priority, proving to the Olympic family that Istanbul is a worth Candidate City and making it onto the shortlist on May 23”, at the SportAccord convention in Quebec City, Canada.
