Gul makes promising statements about Istanbul's candidacy for 2020 Olympics and Paralympics Games

Speaking to the Turkiye daily, President Abdullah Gul made quite promising statements about Istanbul's candidacy for 2020 Olympics and Paralympics Games. "Istanbul is like a diamond. It has already started to rise as a real city of Olympics. Now the entire world acknowledges this fact," Gul said. Stating that Istanbul is ready for the games more than ever, Gul said, "I believe that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members are also aware of this. Today is the day of Turkey. Once the Olympics are awarded to Istanbul, not only Turkey and Istanbul, but also the entire world will gain a great many things in terms of Olympics. Istanbul 2020 will make history as the first games organized simultaneously on the two continents." Gul added that Istanbul was a metropolitan encompassing antique and modern values along with multidirectional, commercial, financial and cultural aspects.