Tension is rising in the Istanbul Park debate initiated by Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) President Eren Üçlertoprağı. TOSFED responded to the harsh statement of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce President Şekib Avdagiç. Here’s what happened…
Subject to various debates from time to time Istanbul Park, has been on the agenda again for a few days. This time, there was mutual bickering and income It increases a little more with each passing minute. Let’s look at what happened together.
Everything Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) started with the latest statements made by its President Eren Üçlertoprağı. Üçlertoprağı, who met with journalists recently, announced that the management contract of Intercity, which operates Istanbul Park, has ended. However, Mayor Üçlertoprağı said that Intercity continues to use the track and the businesses around it and reacted to the latest point. According to Üçlertoprağı, Intercity is Istanbul Park just for their own benefit He started using it.
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce President Şekib Avdagiç reacted to the statement in question
The statement made by TOSFED President Eren Üçlertoprağı, most notably the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) It disturbed President Şekib Avdagiç. The reason for this was that the organization that undertook the construction of Istanbul Park was İTO. It was ITO that built the track and its surroundings, put it out to tender and gave the facility to Intercity. on September 29 via X sharing Avdagic, in his harsh statement He used the following statements:
Istanbul Park’s only goal is to increase the brand value of our city and country and it has achieved this goal. We do not allow the Istanbul Park brand and the business world, which invested 160 million USD, undertook its management, organized Formula 1 7 times between 2005 and 2011, to be tarnished. This is not anyone’s place. We cannot see the purposeful statement made after 20 years as innocent. Istanbul Park was not allowed to become a facility where those who want to take authority without taking responsibility can ‘play cars’. Istanbul Park is not just a pleasure, it is a facility where projects that will elevate the brand of our city and our country are implemented and activities are carried out in accordance with the rental protocol.
Istanbul Park has hosted Formula 1 races a total of 9 times since 2005, two of which were during the operation period in 2020 and 2021. We regret that these facts are being manipulated and the public is misinformed. Wrong, shortcuts do not lead anyone to their goal.
It is regrettable that TOGG is used in this issue. It is a futile effort to demagogue ‘Tesla’ and ‘Greece’, forgetting that TOBB, the main partner that founded Istanbul Park, is also the founder of TOGG. Moreover, while TOGG carried out a significant part of its tests at the Istanbul Park track… And… While it is known that the two most recently held Formula 1 – Istanbul races were held under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, those who used the phrase “ending the occupation” in Istanbul Park have exceeded their purpose and their limits.
The owner of the Istanbul Park brand is FIYAS. The owner of the area where we created this brand is the General Directorate of Foundations. At this stage, we are waiting for confirmation from VGM for the continuation of the rental process in accordance with our contract. At the end of the leasing process, Istanbul Park will also be transferred to VGM.
Really, a race was going to be held in Istanbul on 20-22 May 2022, did I miss it? “fia-ectr-20-22 mayista-turkiyede” I hope those who could not realize the race they announced, despite having the support of very important public institutions, will give information, even after two years.
Counter statement from TOSFED was not delayed!
Today, there was a new development on the subject. TOSFEDa new account via the official X account He did an explanation. The following statements were made in the statement:
*Attracting international automobile races, especially F1, to our country,
* Contributing to the development of Turkish automobile and motor sports and industry,
*It is clear that it was brought to our country under the leadership of our President in order to serve the realization of targets such as increasing the sports tourism capacity of our country.
We leave it to the public to appreciate the fact that, in these statements made on behalf of Intercity, the tenant of FIYAŞ, expressions were used that describe the duty of TOSFED, the state institution to which our state has given the task of regulating automobile sports activities, as “driving cars” and TOSFED’s views as “immodest”. If there is any excess, the public will evaluate who is the party that has exceeded its limits.
It is recorded that TOSFED, as well as automobile sports clubs, the athletes themselves and their stakeholders who are passionate about this sport, have made criticisms, which have been reflected to the public, about the fact that Istanbul Park, which can be the heart of Turkish automobile sports due to its features, was not used by sports and athletes during the rental period.
The request of TOSFED, whose field of activity is determined by our state in its establishment law as the development of automobile sports and the regulation of related sports activities; He stated that due to the expiration of the lease agreement, the facility should be evacuated as soon as possible and returned to the General Directorate of Foundations, which is the real owner, and thus opened to the widest use of athletes from all branches, the public, and the automobile sports clubs and automotive industry that are stakeholders of this sport. The statements made public by the manager were met with astonishment and sadness.
Formula Istanbul Yatırım A.Ş., the public subsidiary established to operate Istanbul Park. It is a matter of public knowledge that the lease of the facility, which was rented by (“FIYAŞ”) to a private company for 10 years, will end in July 2023 and that the tenant company has even declared that it does not want to rent the facility in the new period.
TOSFED, the representative of the automobile sports community, which is one of the biggest sayrs on how Istanbul Park, which is a national value, should be evaluated in the new operating period that should start in July 2023, instead of taking into account the views that it has been trying to draw attention to since the past and the characteristics of the issue at the national level, Others, which are made with the understanding of protecting the lease agreement and its parties, try to attribute to TOSFED the failure to hold international races such as ETCR due to the millions of euros requested by the tenant company, and ignore that the tests of our national car TOGG were carried out free of charge, at the Izmit Körfez Circuit under the management of TOSFED. It is thought that discussing the statements will not provide any benefit to the public.
We hope that it will be understood that giving the necessary importance and value to the opinions of TOSFED, the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation, which is the main responsible and responsible for serving Turkish automobile sports in the plans regarding the future of Istanbul Park, will bring the greatest benefit to Istanbul Park, our sports community and our country. Finally, we would like to remind the FIYAŞ manager that it would be better to defend the rights of Turkish athletes and the Turkish people rather than the interests of its tenant, Intercity.