Istanbul bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics
Istanbul bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics
Istanbul, Turkey, attempted to host the 2020 Summer Olympics with the Turkish Olympic Committee (TMOK) selecting the city as Turkey’s candidate on July 7, 2011. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the candidacy officially on August 13, 2011. Hasan Arat led the Istanbul 2020 bid team, highlighting new venues, improved infrastructure, and Turkey’s growing economy as advantages.
To promote the bid, Istanbul sent a delegation to the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck and successfully hosted the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Turkey also explored other major sports hosting opportunities, including bidding for UEFA Euro 2016 and later Euro 2020, aiming to align big events with Istanbul’s Olympic bid.
On May 23, 2012, Istanbul was selected as a Candidate City for the 2020 Olympics, with Hasan Arat serving as the bid’s head. The bid received public support, including an endorsement from American Olympic gold medallist Mark Spitz, and Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan attended the London 2012 Olympics. Infrastructure plans, such as a third Bosphorus bridge and expanded metro services, were highlighted to show Istanbul’s readiness to host the Games. The decision to host UEFA Euro 2020 across Europe also helped avoid scheduling conflicts with the Olympics.
Istanbul submitted its candidature file to the IOC on January 7, 2013. The IOC Evaluation Commission visited the city in late March 2013. The bid’s slogan, “Bridge Together,” was unveiled on March 25, 2013, symbolizing the city’s geography—straddling Europe and Asia.
In April 2013, controversy arose when Tokyo 2020 chairman Naoki Inose made remarks seen as critical of Istanbul’s bid. IOC rules prohibit attacks on rival candidates, and Inose later apologized.
The year also saw domestic tensions, with anti-government protests causing concern about the bid’s image. IOC officials stated the events would not derail Istanbul’s efforts, and bid supporters argued that Turkish unity remained strong.
The IOC released its Evaluation Commission Report on June 25, 2013. Istanbul 2020 presented its case at an IOC session in Lausanne in July 2013. Turkey hosted related events in 2013, including the Mediterranean Games in Mersin and the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
In September 2013, Tokyo won the bid to host the 2020 Games, with Madrid and Istanbul as the other finalists. Istanbul’s bid was believed to have suffered from domestic protests, doping scandals, and the 2011 Turkish football corruption scandal.
After losing, Turkey pursued other sports projects in Istanbul, including plans to host UEFA Euro 2020 finals and the 2027 European Games. Istanbul had previously bid for the Olympics four times (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012) but had not been elected.
If the bid had succeeded, venues would have been spread across four zones and seven clusters in Istanbul, including major sites like Atatürk Olympic Stadium and the Sinan Erdem Dome, with provisions for a temporary stadium for ceremonies. Istanbul’s strong hotel capacity and status as a major tourism and congress destination were also cited as strengths.
The Istanbul 2020 bid logo, unveiled in July 2012, features a tulip shape and elements of the Istanbul skyline, split between the European and Asian sides of the city, with colors representing sunset and Turkish culture.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:54 (CET).