The agreement, which was signed at the Olympic House in Istanbul, is aimed at opening new channels of communication and collaboration between the two Committees in accordance with the principles of Olympism.

It forms part of the TOC and TNPC's commitment to boosting the international success of Turkish sport.

Istanbul has bid unsuccessfully for five of the last six editions of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, finishing runner-up in the 2020 contest to Tokyo.

Turkey's financial capital was eliminated at the applicant stage for the 2004 edition eventually awarded to Athens, and reached the candidature stage of the 2000, 2008 and 2012 versions won by Sydney, Beijing and London respectively.

A decision on whether the city would bid again was expected to be made at the end of last year following the conclusion of the Olympic Agenda 2020 reform process, and although no announcement has been made as of yet, the agreement would seemingly suggest that it's a very strong possibility. 

"This new collaboration between the TOC and the TNPC is incredibly important for Turkish sport," said Erdener.

"Together, we will walk hand in hand with an integrated approach to ensuring the success of Turkish athletes as well as promoting the Olympic values.

"From this point forward, we will share our knowledge and expertise to guarantee that Turkey is a highly-reputed host of major international sport events."

Uğur Erdener, President of the Turkish Olympic Committee, has said the agreement will "guarantee that Turkey is a highly-reputed host of major international sport events"
©Getty Images



Rome and Boston are the only two cities to have already confirmed that they will be putting forward a bid for the 2024 Games, while either Berlin or Hamburg is expected to be chosen as the German contender.

Although the deadline for confirming bids is September 15, a special invitation phase for the process started on January 15, with the International Olympic Committee keen to provide more consultation with cities in order to generate more popular support.

Baku, Budapest and Doha have also been touted as potential bidding cities.

Speaking of the agreement, Kocaömer added: "Sport is the only arena which has the power and magic to host both competition and unity," 

"It is an historic day for us as we ourselves unite to ensure that we spread the Olympic and Paralympic values throughout Turkey.

"I believe this cooperation will be a fresh driving force for all of our athletes and I look forward to a bright future for Turkish sport."

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