Istanbul competes for 2020 Olympic
伊斯坦布尔申办2020奥运会

Along with Madrid and Tokyo, Istanbul is one of the three finalists competing to host the Olympic Games in the summer of 2020. It’s the fifth time the Turkish city is a candidate. But this time, Istanbul could suffer from the unprecedented political crisis which shook the country in June.

Istanbul, where east meets west. And now it’s hoping to go global by hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics under the slogan “Bridge Together”. It would be the first time the Games would be held in a Muslim country. There’s a lot more at stake than sport - not only for Istanbul but the country as a whole. The economy would benefit as too would Turkey’s prestige on the world stage.

Suat Kilic, Turkish Minister for Youth & Sport, said, "Istanbul has the full support of the government. The republic of Turkey with all its financial and administrative resources is fully behind Istanbul’s candidacy"

But there are some major hurdles. Istanbul has a population of 15 million who lose countless hours sitting in monstrous traffic jams. City authorities have promised to reduce congestion and are creating 4 large zones along the Bosphorus for the competition sites. They’re constructing a third bridge, more metro lines and are planning a third airport, all to the tune of 16 billion euros, the highest of the 3 candidate cities. The people of Istanbul though aren’t convinced.

After 4 failed attempts, Istanbul was well placed to win the 2020 Games but that was until a brutal crackdown on huge anti-government protests in Taksim Square in June. A fifth knock-back would be a serious blow.

Prof. Jean Francois Polo, Galatasaray University, said, "It would generally be felt as a new humiliation of the country, a country that has worked for years to improve its image, to develop and to introduce modernity in line with Islam."

With recent mass protests in Rio de Janeiro against huge spending on sports stadiums instead of on public services, the IOC may think twice about awarding the Games to another emerging country. But Istanbul will be hoping that its multiculturalism will carry the vote.