Seven Largest Companies Sponsor Istanbul 2020

The combined sponsorship agreement is reportedly the largest private sector investment in any sports bid in Turkey's history.

Hasan Arat, leader of Istanbul 2020, called it a critical milestone in the campaign. He said, "this is the most powerful alliance between the sports community, the business community and every level of government we have ever had here in Turkey. That is why Istanbul 2020 is better placed than ever to deliver an Olympic and Paralympic Games of outstanding technical quality; now we are ready to take on the responsibility of hosting the greatest sporting event on the planet".

Ugur Erdener, IOC member and President of the Turkish NOC added, "Istanbul and Turkey have had the dream of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games for over 20 years. Now, for the first time, we have the expertise and the capacity to make our dream a reality. Istanbul hosted 12 major international sports events last year alone, and we proved that we are ready to provide the optimal conditions for all client groups. The passion for bringing the Games to Turkey for the first time is enormous - this powerful group of national sponsors will help us harness it".