Istanbul wants 2020 Games to send peace message

By foxsports
Published

Istanbul has made its final presentation to the IOC in its bid to host the 2020 Olympics, saying that having the games in the city would send a ''strong message of peace'' at a ''critical moment'' in the region.

About 100 members of the IOC will decide the host after all three bid cities make their presentations Saturday. Tokyo was next up, followed by Madrid.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that if the IOC awards the games to the city, ''we will send a very meaningful and strong message, not only to the world, but to our broader region.''

The civil war in neighboring Syria has been one of the greatest challenges for Istanbul's bid.

Istanbul also promised to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on doping and promoted the nation's strong economy.