Istanbul congress center opens

The Istanbul Congress Center, Turkey’s biggest congress and culture center, constructed by the Istanbul Greater Municipality, opened yesterday. Delivering a speech at the opening, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “Such monuments contribute to the race for civilization. If you can't make a leap in culture and art, you can't take your place in this race. So these congress centers are very important.” Gerard Larcher, the head of the French Senate, also attended the opening ceremony.