The 17th Mediterranean Games officially began with an opening ceremony on Thursday in the southern province of Mersin.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Games were a means of preparation for 2020 Olympics, which Turkey is bidding to host.
"In fact, Turkey is making a rehearsal in Mersin," Erdogan said at the opening ceremony held at the 25,000-capacity Mersin Stadium. "As we are hosting the biggest sports organization in the Mediterranean region, we are actually preparing for 2020 Istanbul Olympics."
Erdogan said he believed Mersin would perform well at hosting the event, where athletes from 24 Mediterranean countries will compete.
"Mersin will host the Mediterranean Games in the most beautiful way, and will convey sports' universal message of peace, solidarity and friendship to the whole world," he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan thanked relevant authorities for readying the facilities and opening ceremony in a period of eighteen months, a relatively short span of time given the hosting city is typically determined six years in advance.
"The 17th Mediterranean Games were to be hosted by Greece, but due to various reasons, this could not be realized," he said. "Turkey was made an offer to host, and we accepted with pleasure."
Erdogan said he hoped the event would help bring Mediterranean nations closer.
"The Mediterranean Sea is also called the White Sea. We wish for it to always remain white," he said. "Mediterranean Games are a call, in the language of sports, for peace, friendship, and brotherhood."
The opening ceremony continued with national sports teams' entry into the stadium, while Turkish Stars, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Turkish Air Force, staged a demonstration for the event.
Later, the ceremony featured a mini concert, where well-known songs from various Mediterranean nations were performed.
The opening ceremony continued with presentations of cultural motifs from the city of Mersin and the Turkish Republic, as well as the Mediterranean region at large.
The ceremony ended with fireworks show after a concert of Turkish popstar and singer Ajda Pekkan.
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