Euro 2020 not on Turkish agenda, says Arat

Feb 26, 2013 8:15:00 PM

Organisers for the Turkish 2020 Olympic bid have ruled out the possibility that they will be involved in the Euros after comments from Platini suggested they would host the final

The chairman of Istanbul’s 2020 Olympic bid has made it clear that they have no interest in hosting the European Championship due to take place the same year.

The comments were made after Uefa president Michel Platini said he wanted the semi-finals and final to be held in Turkey.

"I think it's very clear we are just for the Olympic Games,” Hasan Arat told reporters after the Frenchman’s comments.

“There is no official interest and these comments come from Uefa.”

Turkey had been favourites to host Euro 2020 before the football governing body decided the tournament would be spread across "12 or 13 European cities" for the first time.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not allow a country to host two major sporting events within the same year, and as such Arat confirmed he will advise the IOC evaluation committee that Turkey’s sole focus would be on the Olympics rather than the Euros.

He added: "I think it's very clear we are just for the Olympic Games. There is no other agenda, this is our number one agenda and that's what we will tell the evaluation committee."

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