The official meeting held on Wednesday (14 January) was attended by representatives of all key stakeholders involved in the organisation of the European Games, including EOC President Spyros Capralos, EOC Secretary General Carlo Mornati, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye Osman Aşkın Bak, Acting Mayor of Istanbul Nuri Aslan, President of the Turkish NOC Ahmet Gülüm, and President of the Istanbul 2027 European Games Organising Committee, Prof. Dr. Veli Ozan Çakır.
Members of the EOC Coordination Commission received positive feedback on the overall state of preparations in Istanbul, which is preparing to welcome Europe’s top athletes to the continent’s largest multi-sport event next year.
Discussions also covered the budget, the European Games master plan, Istanbul’s impressive infrastructure, and the sports programme, which will offer athletes qualification opportunities for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and is scheduled to be confirmed later in 2026.
Visits to sports venues across Istanbul took place on 15 January. President Capralos expressed his gratitude to all those who contributed to the successful visit.
“This was an encouraging visit to Istanbul, a great sporting city that we have seen is in an excellent position to build on the success of Kraków and the Małopolska region in 2023 and to host the best European Games ever,” said Capralos, adding:
“I would like to thank our friends from the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Turkish NOC, and the Istanbul 2027 European Games Organising Committee for the warm welcome they extended to us this week, as well as President Covaliu and all members of the Coordination Commission for their contributions and assessments.”
Chair of the Coordination Commission, Mihai Covaliu, also reflected positively on the two-day meetings in Istanbul:
“This marked an important milestone in our preparations for the 4th European Games 2027, and I am pleased that we have already established an excellent spirit of cooperation and friendship with our partners in Türkiye. In addition to learning about the progress already achieved by the Organising Committee, it was crucial for the Coordination Commission to gain detailed insight into the activities planned and their implementation timeline, in order to ensure that our partners are fully prepared and committed to delivering an unforgettable event next year. Following this promising first visit, I am even more confident that we will achieve this goal. There is clearly strong capacity and expertise in place, although significant work still lies ahead.”
Minister Bak highlighted his confidence in Istanbul 2027’s ability to inspire Europe:
“I firmly believe that the Istanbul 2027 European Games will showcase the unifying power of sport, shared European values, and Olympic ideals in this extraordinary city. The Istanbul 2027 European Games will be more than just a sporting event; they will represent a turning point that brings new momentum to the European Olympic movement, uniting sport with culture and urban life with Olympic values.”
Acting Mayor of Istanbul Nuri Aslan underlined the city’s ambition to leverage the Games to further enhance public health through sport, while Turkish NOC President Ahmet Gülüm emphasised Türkiye’s hosting capabilities and Istanbul’s long-standing experience in staging major international sporting events.
“This will not be just another edition of the European Games. It will be the moment when all of Europe clearly recognises Türkiye’s organisational capacity, sports infrastructure, and ability to deliver major multi-sport events in line with the highest international standards,” said Gülüm, adding:
“Istanbul is ready to demonstrate that the European Games are not only a competition, but a modern expression of what European sport represents: unity, excellence, diversity, and ambition.”
The full composition of the EOC Coordination Commission for the Istanbul 2027 European Games was confirmed in November 2025 and includes representatives of the EOC Executive Committee, National Olympic Committees, European sports federations, the EOC Athletes’ Commission, and other experts. It should be recalled that Croatian Olympic Committee President Zlatko Mateša, as a member of the EOC Executive Committee, leads the Special Task Force for Diplomacy within the Istanbul 2027 European Games project.
The European Olympic Committees have also signed the Host City Contract with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, underlining the full commitment of all stakeholders to the successful delivery of the 4th edition of the European Games. (eoc/hoo/vk)
