Istanbul Mayor Fears for Olympic Bid Image but Claims Lessons have been Learned
June 3, 2013
Kadir Topba?, arthritis the Mayor of Istanbul, seek has expressed his concern about how the riots and protests in his and other Turkish cities may impact on the bid to host the Olympic Games in 2020.
He was responding to questions in a television interview and duly reported in the local media whose coverage of the trouble has been comparatively guarded since it erupted over, apoplectic initially, a plan to build a shopping centre on a park off central Taksim Square.
Istanbul is bidding for the fifth time to host the Olympics and with by far the most impressive of any of its campaigns. In public relations terms it has far outstripped the investment and efforts of both rivals Tokyo and Madrid ahead of the vote by the International Olympic Committee in September.
Topbas said: “As Istanbul’s mayor going through such an event, the fact that the whole world watched saddens me. How will we explain it? With what claims will we host the 2020 Olympic Games?”
Broadcast
He was reported in Hurriyet as welcoming the withdrawal of the police after pictures and film of the use of water cannon and tear gas had been broadcast around the world by established and social media.
Toqbas continued: “It’s a very correct move but the police have been very late in pulling back. It could have been done much earlier. In democratic countries, people can gather to form ideas.”
He also said he had drawn lessons from the latest unrest, especially in terms of better “informing the public” about ongoing projects. This might include not only the controversial Taksim Square development but the vast array of construction projects planned around the city and which would include the proposed Olympic venues.