The recent arrest and detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu could derail Turkey’s Olympic dreams.
On Wednesday SportAccord, an annual international conference of Olympics and sports leaders, canceled plans to hold the high-level event in Istanbul in June. The decision followed the arrest and subsequent mass protests by İmamoğlu supporters who believe the charges of corruption and terrorism against him are politically motivated. The unrest has resulted in thousands more arrests.
İmamoğlu is considered a possible rival to run against Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the next election. He has also been tightly tied to the city’s sports aspirations, integral in bringing the 2027 European Games to the city.
A statement by SportAccord read “the removal of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu from office on 19 March 2025 led to political disruption in the days that followed, during which Acting Mayor Nuri Aslan was appointed.”
“As a result, several fundamental conditions for hosting the event could no longer be met, and it was decided that the event could no longer proceed. It is hoped that these developments will not affect other major international events scheduled to take place in the city.”
Istanbul had been announced as the upcoming host of the event on March 13.
İmamoğlu is also spearheading a bid to stage the 2036 Olympics, competing against likely rivals Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, Hungary, Nusantara in Indonesia, Santiago in Chile, South Africa, Egypt, Germany and North Jeolla, South Korea.
Hosting SportAccord is considered a valuable opportunity, allowing Olympic bidders to showcase their cities and venues to key stakeholders. The late cancelation due to political unrest will likely have a negative impact.
Istanbul has unsuccessfully bid for the Games five times – for 2020, 2012, 2008, 2004 and 2000. Istanbul had been considered the favorite to win the 2020 bid until mass demonstrations and violence stemming from the Gezi Park protests just months before the vote derailed the project and Tokyo was elected instead.
President Erdogan was actively supportive of the 2020 bid and traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013 to address IOC members just ahead of the vote.
There is no set timetable for the election of the 2036 host but the IOC has hinted that potential candidates could be narrowed down as early as next year.
