European Union Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis told the inaugural International Herald Tribune Sports Business Summit in Istanbul Wednesday that Istanbul was ready to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
A Turkish newspaper reports Bagis said, “we are shouting loud and clear to the world that we are ready to host the Olympics. It is not Istanbul’s mistake that the Olympics have never been organized here, it is the Olympics’ mistake. We aim to correct this mistake”.
Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Suat Kilic said last month that Istanbul’s bid was the strongest. As he unveiled the bid’s details Kilic said, “Turkey is the strongest candidate. This city is bidding for the Olympic Games with a greater will than ever”.
Turkey is also bidding for the 2020 European Football Championships. Bagis said, “we respect the Turkish Football Federation’s bid for the Euro 2020 and we support it. But the Olympics are a major target for us, for the state, the nation, the whole country”.
Istanbul is bidding for the 2020 Games in competition with Tokyo, Madrid, Doha and Baku. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will announce the official candidate cities on May 23.
