The logo selected
"by the people"
to represent Istanbul's candidacy
for the 2020 Olympic Games
It occurred to me that Turkey's bid to get the Olympics Game is the perfect war expansion prevention protection. America plunged Istanbul's tourism into a double digit dive when we invaded Iraq because people thought Istanbul must be close enough to Iraq not to be safe. Wrong. Iraq is more than a day's drive away. Surely, America would be more sensitive this time around to the economic needs of their friends?
This is Turkey's 5th time applying for the Games. They have worked very hard for this and put up the budgets to deliver the Olympics for their people. Having the Olympics here would be a wonderful way to usher in their celebrations around the 100-year anniversary of their democracy.
All of my Turkish friends say that if America were to intervene in Syria, it would be World War III. As my nation's history in Iraq and Vietnam demonstrate, the American government's nature is intervention in other people's business.
Wouldn't it be hard for Turkey to sell their country as the safe place for the Olympic Games if the Americans were starting WWIII next door?
I've never been so grateful for athletic competition.
5 comments:
I really would love to see Turkey get the Olympics. I am sure it would be a great spectacle and show the world what Turkey has to offer. In reality though I sense they have little chance against Madrid or Tokyo :(
Westy, I think Turkey will get it. The demographics of Turkey make for a more fun, youthful presentation (the people of Japan are old). Turkey is putting up better budgets in preparation. I think Turkey will do what it can to time this to coincide with celebrations running up to the 100-year anniversary of the Republic. Both Japan and Spain have money troubles. Japan has radioactivity troubles. Lastly, Turkey is in the European timezones.
I'm with you, Karen. I think Istanbul has a very good chance for all the reasons you cite. Here's hoping!
Karen - I do wonder if Istanbul's transport system & its road network would ever cope with hosting the Olympic Games.
That's a very fair comment about Istanbul traffic, Ricky. The good news is Istanbul is facing the problem squarely. This week it was noted in all the papers that Istanbul has the second worst traffic in the world, so they aren't in denial about it. In the last year, they opened up a new subway line on the Asian side. Work continues on a subway under the Bosphorus too.
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