Istanbul unveils 2020 Olympic bid slogan: Bridge Together

ISTANBUL

Board Member of Koç Holding Ali Koç. AA photo

Istanbul has chosen “Bridge Together” as the slogan for its 2020 Olympic bid, highlighting the city’s unique geographic location straddling Europe and Asia.

The motto was revealed by Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Suat Kılıç yesterday, on the second day of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) evaluation commission’s four-day assessment of Istanbul’s bid.

“Istanbul is a bridge between east and west, between Europe and Asia, between civilizations, cultures and beliefs,” Kılıç said. “With its 10,000-year history, it is the most important bridge between different civilizations.”

Earlier, leading businessman Ali Koç assured the IOC of the private sector’s support of Istanbul’s bid.
“I am here today on behalf of the business community of Turkey to express our readiness to help one of the most important projects in Turkey’s history,” Ali Koç, Board Member of Koç Holding, told reporters yesterday.

“Our business leaders see the Olympics as an incomparable opportunity to tell our story to the world, to rebrand Turkey, to demonstrate our growing capabilities and to compete with the best companies in the world,” Koç added.

A delegation of IOC inspectors is in the city on a four-day visit to assess Istanbul’s ability to host the games. The team has already visited rival bidders Tokyo and Madrid.

Turkey is experiencing a dramatic transformation with a rapidly growing economy with careful management, Koç said.

“Turkey is changing, Turkey is coming of age. Turkish business leaders understand the power of the Olympic movement to build the brand loyalties that are so important in a growing economy,” the businessman added.

Commenting on the importance of building the Olympic brand, Hasan Arat, Chairman of Istanbul 2020, said:

“Turkey has a great commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic Movements. We have been bidding for 20 years! We know how important marketing is for Istanbul 2020 and for the Olympic and Paralympic brands. I have often spoken of Istanbul 2020 as a bridge to excellence; Turkey’s strong economy and unwavering government and private sector support will help guarantee that excellence in 2020.”