ISTANBUL (AA) –Turkey’s European Union Affairs Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said, International Herald Tribune (IHT) trusted Istanbul and Turkey, despite pressures to cancel the conference.
Speaking at the premier dinner at Topkapı Palace garden given for IHT Sports Business Summit which will convene in Istanbul on June 11 and 12, organized via the support of EU Affairs and Youth and Sports Ministry, reminding that the event was organized last year in Istanbul, as well, Bagis said, “IHT normally does not organize the same-topic conference in a city twice, however we convinced them to do so before the location for 2020 Olympics was determined.”
Bagis said, “Some circles tried to apply pressure on IHT to cancel this meeting, especially after the last one week’s events in Istanbul, however our friends trusted Istanbul and Turkey.They believed that Istanbul, the most European city of Asia and the most Asian city of Europe, deserves to host not only IHT conference, but also the Olympics.”
Bagis added, IHT was organizing the conference in Istanbul to show support for Istanbul’s candidacy to Olympics.
IHT Editor Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, Director of Turkish national football team Abdullah Avci, Directors of Turkish Basketball and Golf Federations Turgay Demirel and Ahmet Agaoğlu, AK Party Istanbul MP Osman Askin Bak attended the event, bringing together global players and investors to identify and explore emerging business models, markets and threats.
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