Mini-Olympics a feast for Mediterranean coast: PM

MERSİN

The total spending for the games has reached 800 million liras, says Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opened the 54 sports facilities built in Mersin as part of the 17th Mediterranean Games in a ceremony.

In a speech he made during the ceremony at Servet Tazegül Sports Hall with a 7,500-person capacity, Erdoğan addressed thousands of Mersin residents, saying despite the normal preparation period for the games being six years, Turkey completed this process in a very short amount of time.
“Even though we began our preparations only 18 months ago, we are completely ready for the Mediterranean Games on June 20,” he said.

Youth and Sports Minister Suat Kılıç, Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik and Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan also attended the grand opening. Examining the completed facilities from a helicopter, Erdoğan reviewed Turkey’s success as follows:

“We achieved a great deal of success in a very short time in Mersin. The 17th Mediterranean Games would normally be held in Greece’s Volos city. But this did not take place due to the crisis. Under normal conditions, preparations of such great events begin six years before the event. But although we started our work only 18 months ago, we are completely ready for the games, which will begin on June 20. Within 18 months, we developed, contracted and constructed 11 new facilities. We completed our work in every field including transport, catering, accommodation, security, technology and health.”

Erdoğan also gave accurate data on the cost of the facilities and games. “We invested about 500 million Turkish Liras in the work on the new facilities and the repair work. Also, we spent about 300 million liras for the current expenditure of the games. So, our total spending reached 800 million liras. I hope the games, which host 6,000 sportsmen in 32 branches from 24 countries, will turn the whole Mediterranean coast from Adana to Silifke into a feast with the grand opening on June 20. We are to host a mini-Olympics.”