Call to 'make history' by electing Istanbul

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will head the high-level delegation to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) into electing Istanbul as the venue of the 2020 games. The committee includes Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, Minister of Youth and Sports Suat Kilic, Minister of Environment and Urbanization Erdogan Bayraktar, Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas, Chairman of Turkish National Olympics Committee (TMOK) Ugur Erdener, Chairman of Istanbul 2020 Candidacy Committee Hasan Arat, and several other sportsmen and businessmen. Speaking at a press conference in Buenos Aires yesterday, Arat emphasized that half of the Turkish population was under 25. "This is such a big opportunity for the region, for the Olympic Movement and for the youth of the region," Arat added.