Istanbul 2020 Chief Delivers Assurances

(ATR) The head of the Istanbul bid for the 2020 Olympics delivers assurances to IOC members as protestors in Turkey dig in.

Bid president Hasan Arat had access to the ears of three dozen IOC members last week as one of the delegates at the IOC/UN Forum on Sport Peace and Development in New York City.

"This is a challenging moment for Turkey," Arat acknowledged to Around the Rings.

But he said the conflict between young protestors and the Turkish government could lead the country in a positive direction – depending on how the crisis is defused.

Arat says he takes heart from the way fans of three football clubs, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray – all fierce rivals – have banded together to help clear rubble and debris from the streets after police and protestors clashed last week. And he noted that Istanbul government officials have issued apologies for the over reaction of police in their effort to control the protests.

That was Arat’s message to IOC President Jacques Rogge when the two men spoke on the sidelines of the IOC forum briefly. Arat was seen speaking to other IOC members during the two-day gathering, delivering his assurances about the tense situation in Istanbul.

Responding to a question from a Turkish reporter, Rogge said he was not worried about the impact of the protests on the Istanbul bid.

"These protests will have no negativeeffects on Istanbul’s bid. Similar protests have been experienced in other cities before. There are seven years before the 2020 Games. We need to take the time factor into consideration," Rogge said.

While it is not certain which bid cities Rogge is referring to have endured similar protests, the protestors show no interest in standing down in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities. And neither does Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who on Sunday declared he was losing patience with the protests. He says rallies in support of his government will be organized this week.

In Istanbul where the protest movement began two weeks ago over plans to redevelop a central city park, encampments in the style of the Occupy protests have taken over Taksim Square. Clashes that led to tear gas fusillades from police appear to have abated for now.

But with Erdogan signaling his impatience and the protestors vowing to remain in place, it’s possible for trouble to flare soon again.

Arat and colleagues head to Lausanne this week along with rival bids Madrid and Tokyo to meet with representatives of the world’s 205 national Olympic committees and make a 15 minute presentation. How much time Istanbul will need to take to assure the NOCs that the city offers a safe place for the Games may depend on what unfolds in the coming days at Taksim Square.

Written by Ed Hula.