'Istanbul house' in Paris to promote 2036 Olympic bid

PARIS

The Istanbul Municipality and Türkiye's Olympic committee have jointly inaugurated a promotion center at the fashion museum Palais Galliera in Paris as part of their campaign to host the 2036 events.

“Seeing the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower was truly inspiring. I dream of seeing them one day adorning the bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul connecting Europe and Asia,” Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said during the opening ceremony on Aug. 7.

The “Istanbul house” aims to bolster a bid for the 2036 Games and promote the 2027 European Games, which will be held in the Turkish megacity.

“Istanbul aims to use the European Games as a tool to inspire and mobilize young people, fostering a sense of community and common purpose,” İmamoğlu said.

“In the spirit of the Olympics, let's embrace this vision and work together to make the Istanbul 2027 European Games a shining example of what we can achieve when we come together with a common purpose.”

Some media figures have criticized the costs associated with the promotion center. Murat Ongun, an adviser to İmamoğlu, addressed these concerns, revealing that the weekly rent for the venue is fully covered by sponsors.

“No money was spent from the İBB [Istanbul Municipality] budget for this important international promotion activity on the way to Istanbul's Olympic candidacy,” he wrote on X.