Turkey eyes gold medals in Olympics

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s next target in gymnastics is to bag gold medals in the Olympics, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said while addressing gymnasts who bagged medals in various championships this year.

“We are raising the bar. After the Balkan, European and World Championships, now it is time for the Olympics,” Erdoğan said.

The president welcomed athletes in the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara on June 2.

Congratulating them for the medals they gained so far, Erdoğan noted, “The pride we will feel for the medals we will win in the Olympics will surely be different.”

The president highlighted that the government’s support for sports would continue.

One of the guests of the complex was Ayşe Begüm Onbaşı, who bagged a gold medal at the Aerobic Gymnastics World Championship.

Thanking the president, the 19-year-old athlete said, “I have been doing sports since I was 3 years old and have been participating in various competitions since 2010.”