The IOC Has Turned its Back on the Muslim World says Erdogan After Istanbul 2020 Fails in Olympic Bid

September 9, 2013

The Prime Minister of Turkey Tayyip Erdogan has accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of ‘cutting ties’ with the Muslim world after electing Tokyo rather than Istanbul to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

Tokyo was the long-time favourite to win the election and has been considered the ‘safe pair of hands’ out of their rivals Istanbul and Madrid.

The Japanese capital eventually beat Istanbul by 60 votes to 36 at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Erdogan said on  Monday that the result was unfair and added: “Both Tokyo and Madrid have hosted the games before; Istanbul hasn’t. It hasn’t been fair.

“In a way, they are cutting ties with the 1.5-billion-people Muslim world.”

Istanbul 2020’s presentation and Q&A session on Saturday was overshadowed by questions of doping and security.

Thirty-one athletes were suspended for doping in August and the situation in Syria are seen as some of the main reasons the IOC opted against Istanbul.