Irish rock band U2 walks over Bosporus Bridge

Members of the legendary Irish rock band U2 walked from Europe to Asia on Sunday, via Istanbul’s iconıc Bosporus Bridge. The band was accompanied for the walk over the bridge by State Minister and European Union chief negotiator Egemen Bagis, his wife, Beyhan Bagis, and State Minister Hayati Yazici. Bono, the band’s 50-year-old front man, said he met with Bagıs in New York in September 2009 where Bagis asked him to play an Istanbul concert -- while mentioning the possibility of a walk, from Europe to Asia, over the bridge. Bono said that Turkey was a bridge between East and West and added that the band felt ashamed it had not previously performed in Turkey.At the end of the walk, Yazici gifted Bono with a replica of the letter of thanks that Irish authorities sent to Sultan Abdulmecid after the Ottoman Empire sent aid to Ireland during 1845-1852 Great Potato Famine. The band performed in Istanbul last night as part of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture events at Ataturk Olympic Stadium. The U2 Istanbul concert was organized by LiveNation in cooperation with the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV).