Fallout from arrest of Istanbul mayor forces cancellation of city event for Olympic sports leaders
The SportAccord event was scheduled June 9-12 in Istanbul which wants to host the Summer Games in 2036 or 2040, in a project closely tied to the mayor.
İmamoğlu, who lobbied for the bid at the Paris Olympics last year, has been seen as a future election opponent of Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
İmamoğlu was detained on March 19 and faces corruption and terrorism charges which observers say are politically motivated. Protests in the aftermath have brought hundreds of thousands of people on to the streets of Istanbul.
Organizers of SportAccord cited the 'evolving political context' for their decision to cancel an event typically attended by leaders of the International Olympic Committee and influential Olympic sports.
The detention of İmamoğlu 'led to political disruption,' SportAccord said, stressing its top priority was 'safety and welfare' of delegates.
'As a result, several fundamental conditions for hosting the event could no longer be met, and it was decided that the event could no longer proceed.'
It is the latest cancellation for SportAccord which has been held just once since 2019 — last year in Birmingham, England — with disruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's full military invasion of Ukraine.
Istanbul's expected rivals to host future editions of the Summer Games include bids from India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Hungary.
The IOC now sets no fixed timetable to pick Olympic hosts. Preferred options after discreet — and critics say opaque — lobbying are invited to enter exclusive talks before being confirmed eventually in a rubber-stamp vote by IOC members without a rival on the ballot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
14 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Cameroon's constitutional council bars main opposition candidate from presidential race
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Cameroon's constitutional council on Tuesday rejected opposition candidate Maurice Kamto's appeal to be reinstated on the ballot for the upcoming presidential election. Kamto, a former government minister, is seen as the main challenger to long-serving President Paul Biya. Kamto had filed an appeal last month after the electoral commission did not include him in the list of approved candidates. The decision Tuesday fueled fears of unrest and increases the likelihood of another Biya victory. Security forces were deployed around the conference center in the capital Yaounde, where the Constitutional Council announced the verdict, and along the city's major roads. The previous day, police had fired tear gas and arrested dozens of people who were protesting in support of Kamto ahead of verdict. Kamto was considered Biya's strongest rival in past elections. He came second during the last presidential election in 2018 with 14% of the vote, while Biya cruised to victory with over 70% in an election marred by irregularities and a low turnout. Biya, 92, the world's oldest serving head of state, said last month he would seek reelection on Oct. 12 despite rumors that his health is failing. He has been in power since 1982, nearly half his lifetime. Biya's rule has left a lasting impact on Cameroon. His government has faced various challenges, including allegations of corruption and a deadly secessionist conflict in the nation's English-speaking provinces that has forced thousands out of school.
San Francisco Chronicle
14 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
US government proposes easing some restrictions on drones traveling long distances
A new federal rule proposed Tuesday would make it easier for companies to use drones over longer distances out of the operator's sight without having to go through a cumbersome waiver process. The federal government had already approved 657 waivers to allow companies such as Amazon and major utilities to do this in certain circumstances, but the waiver process made it difficult. The industry has long pressed for the rule because being able to operate drones out of sight opens up a multitude of possibilities for their use. Being able to do this enables more use of drones for deliveries, inspecting infrastructure like bridges and power lines and other uses in agriculture over thousands of acres on large farms. 'This draft rule is a critical step toward enabling drone operations that will enhance safety, transform commercial services, and strengthen public safety with drones as a force multiplier," said Michael Robbins, president & CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International trade group. The rule spells out the circumstances drones can be used under while working to ensure they don't disrupt aviation and cause problems around airports, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford said. 'We are making the future of our aviation a reality and unleashing American drone dominance. From drones delivering medicine to unmanned aircraft surveying crops, this technology will fundamentally change the way we interact with the world,' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. President Donald Trump issued executive orders in June directing the Transportation Department to quickly get this rule out. The orders also included restrictions meant to help protect against terrorism, espionage and public safety threats. Drones are already used in a variety of ways, including bolstering search and rescue operations, applying fertilizer, inspecting power lines and railroad bridges, and even delivering packages. But the war in Ukraine has highlighted how drones could be used in a military or terrorist attack — a concern as the World Cup and Olympics approach in the U.S. There also have been espionage cases where drones have been used to surveil sensitive sites. And White House officials said drones are being used to smuggle drugs over the border, and there are concerns about the potential for a disastrous collision between a drone and an airliner around an airport.
San Francisco Chronicle
14 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump is creating a task force for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is establishing a task force on the 2028 Olympic Games being held in Los Angeles. Trump will sign an executive order on Tuesday to make the task force official, the White House said. Trump has said that the Los Angeles Summer Games are among the events he's most looking forward to in his second term. The 2028 Games will be the first Olympics to be hosted by the U.S. since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Trump 'considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, calling sports one of the president's 'greatest passions.' LA28 president and chair Casey Wasserman said the task force "marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028.'
