Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Friday that Istanbul is getting ready to become a candidate for 2020 Olympic Games, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
Gul announced this decision at the 37th general assembly meeting of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) which has begun in the Turkish largest city of Istanbul on the centenary of the founding of Turkey's National Olympic Committee (TMOK).
Gul said, "We will mobilize all our capabilities to host the Olympic Games. "
"The games is one of the oldest and most important driving forces of friendly and peaceful relations among countries and their nations," he said.
The two-day meeting at Istanbul's Hilton Exhibition Center brings together delegations from national Olympic committees (NOCs) of Europe, numerous sports federations, and a great number of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members.
EOC President Patrick Hickey and Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi as well as IOC President Jacques Rogge are among participants of the event giving the candidate cities for the 2016 Olympic Games a last opportunity to meet the European delegates.
Turkish State Minister Murat Basesgioglu said that he was proud of hosting the meeting on the 100th anniversary of founding of the TMOK.
During the meeting, the candidate cities for the 2016 Olympic Games (Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janerio and Madrid) will make presentations to EOC officials to lay out their plans to host the Games.
Also, Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014 presentations will also be made.
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee President Rogge will be decorated with an honorary doctorate degree by the Istanbul University.
Rome-based EOC brings together 49 National Olympic Committees under its roof.
(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2008)