Erdoğan: Türkiye capable of hosting sports competitions of any scale

Türkiye possesses all the necessary capabilities to host any type of international sporting event, including the Olympic Games.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made this statement during the opening ceremony of the UEFA office in Istanbul, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

He noted that Türkiye has reached an exceptionally high level in terms of investment in sports infrastructure, adding that the number of sports facilities in the country has increased from 1,575 to 4,470.

The Turkish leader also stated that the number of football fields in Türkiye has more than doubled, from 595 to 1,365.

The president emphasised that Istanbul has become the third city after London and Brussels to have a UEFA representative office.

Moreover, Erdoğan expressed confidence that the opening of this office will contribute to the expansion of Türkiye's contacts with UEFA in order to develop Turkish football and implement joint projects.

"I believe that the representative office will play a significant role in the various football events that we will hold in the coming years," President Erdogan added.

Türkiye has long harboured ambitions to become a central hub for international sports. Over the past two decades, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the country has made significant strides in developing world-class sports infrastructure. Massive state-backed investments have transformed Türkiye’s cities into venues capable of hosting major sporting events across various disciplines, including football, basketball, athletics, and winter sports.

While Türkiye has yet to secure the right to host the Olympic Games, it has repeatedly bid for the Summer Olympics—most notably for the 2020 Games, which were awarded to Tokyo. Nonetheless, Türkiye has hosted numerous prestigious events, such as the UEFA Super Cup, the FIBA World Championship, the European Games, and stages of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Istanbul, in particular, has positioned itself as a recurring venue for the UEFA Champions League final.

By Khagan Isayev