Olympic committee member says Istanbul never been this lucky to host games in 2020

A member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Tuesday that there was a strong possibility for Istanbul to become the host city of the 2020 Olympic Games.

ISTANBUL- Speaking to AA, Klaus Schormann, President of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) and a member of the IOC Commission for Culture, said that it was the best time for Istanbul's candidacy to host the olympic games.

"There has never been such a strong possibility," Schormann said, noting that Turkey gave a clear message showing its willingness to become the venue of the games.

Describing Istanbul as a young, dynamic and energetic city, Schormann said the constant transformation and improvement in the city was its biggest advantage.

The committee member also said that nobody should lose hopes as the city's candidacy had earlier been turned down 4 times.

"Forget about the past and think positive," he said, adding that Istanbul had solved most of problems concerning traffic, accommodation and security.

Schormann also noted that Turkey should not get help from foreign agencies while conducting its promotion campaign, but it should rather use its own people in order to give a message of self-confidence to the world.

The Olympic Games, regarded as the world's foremost sports competition, is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports during which thousands of athletes compete in various categories.

The games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, although they occur every four years within their respective seasonal games.

The latest Summer Games were held in the Chinese capital of Beijing in 2008. The British capital of London has been elected the host city of the Olympic Summer Games in 2012.

August 2011