The line in itself is hardly damning - "With the exception of the Taksim Precinct, there is generous space around all venues to accommodate the required Olympic facilities" - and the Commission, headed by Britain's Sir Craig Reedie, the IOC vice-president, is generally overwhelmingly positive about the campaign in its 110-page report.

"Istanbul's rich history, diverse culture, love of sport and celebration, and popularity as a tourist destination, would certainly be very positive factors in promoting the Games," the document notes.

The Taksim Precinct is due to host the rugby sevens at the Beşiktaş İnönü Stadium and the weightlifting at the Harbiye Theatre and the amount of work needed to accommodate those sports is relatively minimal.

But the Turks have been done no favours over the fact that the Report has raised concerns - however gentle - over an area where sensitivities are already running high over controversial Government plans to redevelop it.

Taksim Square has been the focus of huge protests and worldwide attention since May 31 after police broke up a sit-in held there to protest against a proposal to demolish Gezi Park, with the authorities regularly using tear gas and water cannons to disperse those involved. 

Hasan Arat, the leader of Istanbul 2020, refuted fears that there would be problems with the venues in Taksim.

"The Taksim cluster will host the rugby sevens at the İnönü Stadium and the weightlifting at the Congress Valley Auditorium," he said.

"Both are proven venues and regularly operate at full capacity throughout the year.

"The 2020 venue plans as submitted to the IOC have clearly demonstrated the feasibility of both venues with provision of all Games time space allocations which meet IOC requirements."

The protests at Taksim Square quickly mushroomed into a nationwide movement but the Evaluation Report makes no mention of the troubles because its remit ended when it left Istanbul in the middle of March.

Overall, the IOC Evaluation Commission rates "the planning and proposed and operations to be adequate to ensure safe and secure Games", even though it notes that Turkey is located in one of the most volatile regions in the world, including sharing a border with Syria.

But there are some concerns raised over Istanbul's notorious transport challenges.

The Evaluation Commission praises the multi-billion dollar transport plan currently underway in Turkey's financial capital which, has already benefited among other areas, Taksim.

But it warns: "Due to the estimated traffic growth the Commission believes that the risk of road congestion during the Games remains high, particularly in the coastal and Bosphorus zones."

The biggest boost for Istanbul will come from the release of the poll conducted by the IOC which found that 83 per cent of citizens in Istanbul and 76 per cent across Turkey supported the bid.

That is markedly higher than favourites Tokyo, with 70 per cent and 67 per cent, where the Commission warns that if the Japanese capital is awarded the Games for the first time since 1964 then "it would be important for communications efforts to commence immediately in order to develop the vision and ensure that the whole country could share in the excitement of the Games."

Overall, Tokyo probably receives the best report from the Evaluation Commission out of the three bidders, with attention drawn to its strong economic position and the support of the business community.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has already ring-fenced $4.5 billion (£2.8 billion/€3.3 billion) to help fund the Games, which earns the approval of the Commission.

"The Games would benefit from the fact that a Hosting Reserve Fund which fully
covers the non-OCOG investment has already been established," it says.

One potential problem for Tokyo is that the Commission has expressed fears over some of the venues proposed that were used at the 1964 Olympics.

"The Commission considers that three existing landmark venues from the 1964 Games in the Heritage Zone [city centre] that Tokyo proposes for judo, table tennis and boxing would present operational challenges due to the limited space available around the venues," it says.

The economy, widely believed to be the main barrier to a successful bid from Madrid, is addressed in the Report.

"Although sponsorship revenues may appear conservative, the OCOG (Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) could still face some risks associated with the state of the Spanish economy," it warns.

"Both Madrid 2020 and the Government have indicated that the Spanish economy shows signs of recovery.

"The budget represents a reasonable estimate of the costs and revenues associated with hosting the Games and the Commission considers it to be achievable."

The Spanish capital's sports plan is also praised and described as "a very compact project" by the Commission.

"The use of existing venues and the completion of those under construction would reinforce the strong sporting foundations Madrid already offers to its elite athletes and inhabitants," the Evaluation Report says.