The IOC does not like disorder. This is how. The popular uprising which has engulfed Istanbul and several other cities in Turkey for several days is therefore observed by members of the Olympic institution with real embarrassment. The Turkish capital is a candidate to host the 2020 Games, where it faces Madrid and Tokyo. In recent months, his popularity has skyrocketed. In Lausanne, at the IOC headquarters, it was even rumored that the Turks would appear as favorites on September 7, 2013, the day of the election of the host city of the Games. But today ? Will the Istanbul 2020 file endure the blows of an anti-government rebellion whose duration and outcome no one can predict?
In Istanbul, we firmly believe in it. The bid team issued a press release in the first days of the protests against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His words are intended to be reassuring. “Despite recent events, all components of Turkey remain united behind our dream of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the first time in 2020,” the statement explained. The slogan of our candidacy is “Bridge together”, and there is a common desire to stay united in the Olympic spirit and show the world that we can work together to build a better Turkey. »
In the offices of the Istanbul 2020 headquarters, everyone is busy preparing for the next deadlines of the candidacy: the meeting of the ANOC (Association of National Olympic Committees) in Lausanne on June 14, then the technical presentation of the three cities candidates before the IOC, still in Lausanne, on July 3. The bid team is not letting up the pressure. “We work tirelessly,” explains one of its executives. It is particularly present on the ground in Turkey, deploying its logo at all sporting events in the country.
Over the last two days, two members of the IOC have also wanted to be reassuring. And not the least. Denis Oswald, the Swiss president of FISA, a declared candidate to succeed Jacques Rogge, said it without nuance: “We are at the beginning of a protest movement, like other democratic countries. But I don't think these events can necessarily affect Istanbul's candidacy. We are three months away from the election. It will be necessary to monitor developments in the situation, but it is premature to think that this constitutes a threat to the candidacy. »
Same story with Thomas Bach, another IOC heavyweight, also a candidate for the presidency of the institution. The German is even more categorical: “This will have no influence on the decision of the IOC members. They are all experienced enough to know that we are talking about a bid for Games scheduled in seven years. »
However, the situation in Turkey cannot be completely absent from the campaign of the last three months. Despite all their experience, the IOC members will closely observe how the Turkish government, led by Erdogan, will manage the crisis. If it succeeds while respecting democratic values, Istanbul's case will only be stronger. Otherwise, it could leave feathers there.
