Mediterranean Games to be ‘unaffected’ by Protests says NOC of Turkey

The National Olympic Committee of Turkey and the 2013 Mersin local organising committee have reiterated the Mediterranean Games will be ‘unaffected’ by the violent protests across several major Turkish cities.

The demonstrations have spread to several major cities, including the capital Ankara, with under-fire Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warning that his patience was running out.

In a joint statement the NOC of Turkey and Mersin said: “The Mersin 2013 local organising committee and the National Olympic Committee of Turkey can confirm that the Mediterranean Games is unaffected by the largely peaceful protests that have taken place in the Adana-Mersin area, after an exhaustive review of the current situation with leading experts found that there is no elevated risk to the event participants.”

Mersin will host the international multi-sports event between June 20-30 and their is a worry about the safety of the Athletes in the region.

“The safety and security of athletes and participants at Mersin 2013 has been our top priority from the very beginning,” the statement continued. “Under the direction of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, we have worked hand-in-hand with all the necessary authorities and drawn on international best practice to create rigorous safety and security models to deal with all eventualities. Turkey has an excellent safety and security record when it comes to major sporting events over the last decade, and athletes, officials and fans can be confident of experiencing those same high standards.

On Sunday the newly built venues were opened by Prime Minister Erdoğan on schedule, after Mersin stepped in as hosts less than two years ago and successfully compressed a six-year delivery programme into just 18 months.