Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) made statements about Istanbul Park. The track is still on the agenda these days.
First Formula 1 Built for automobile sports including Istanbul Park Exactly 10 years have passed since the tender for the operation of the runway, and the construction of the runway has been completed. Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) and put out a tender to transfer the operating rights for 10 years. Winner of this tender intercity In particular, there are important developments these days. featured in Hürriyet According to the news, Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) President Eren Üçlertoprağı and Deputy President Nisa Ersoy met with journalists last week. Within the scope of the meeting, the operating period of Istanbul Park July 18, 2023 Noting that it ended on Eren Üçlerland, Despite this, he said that Intercity continues its activities. Üçlertoprağı on this subject, “The largest sports facility in the history of the Republic, which was provided to our country’s athletes 18 years ago Istanbul Park has been closed to Turkish sports and national athletes in all branches of sports for 10 years, 10 months and 17 days. The facility, which spans an area larger than 300 football fields, is used by the said company for different commercial purposes, including the company’s headquarters, and as a logistics base, rather than serving sports. While warehouses in Tuzla, which are 1/100th the size of Istanbul Park, are rented for around 7 million TL per month, the monthly rent of this giant facility is only 3 million 600 thousand TL. “It is confirmed by experts on the subject that in today’s conditions, the company earns this rent through one-day events.” he said.
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Üçlertoprağı also said the following on the subject: “The company has prioritized using the track as a car park rather than for sports activities and has turned the track into an open car market, visible from space. At this point, today this company is the biggest rival of TOGG, our local and national pride, in Istanbul Park. It is used for temporary parking and delivery of Tesla cars before sale. Istanbul Park, which Turkish engineers and racing pilots can use for TOGG’s development, is the logistics base of TOGG’s rival. While similar tracks host millions of spectators in an average of 10 different international organizations a year, our track with Istanbul in its name has not had a single international organization held in the last 2 years.”
Following the statements of Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) President Eren Üçlertoprağı, a response came from the President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. According to the news in HaberTürk İTO President Şekib Avdagiç shared a post and said, “Istanbul Park is not allowed to become a facility where people who want to take authority without taking responsibility can ‘play cars’.” he said. Avdagic also said, “Istanbul Park’s only goal is to increase the brand value of our 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.” said.
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Avdagiç stated that, as the Chairman of the Board of FIYAŞ, he wanted to underline some facts about Istanbul Park., “Thus, environments lacking institutional memory will have accurate information. “Istanbul Park is an investment made by the Turkish business world with great sacrifices and the support of state institutions, especially TOBB and ITO.” said. Avdagiç continued: “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 will not lead anyone to their goal.” Avdagiç noted that it was regrettable that TOGG was 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…” said.
Avdagic, “While it is known that the last two 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.” he said. At the end of his post, İTO President Avdagiç said: Pointing to the race that TOSFED had previously announced, “Really, a race was going to be held in Istanbul on 20-22 May 2022, did I miss it? “www.tosfed.org.tr/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.” shared.
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Today, in addition to the above statements, Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) X (Twitter) He made another official statement through me. In this statement the following transferred: “Istanbul Park Race Track;
-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.
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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.”
Regarding Istanbul Park; pic.twitter.com/B4x3axR46h
— TOSFED (@TOSFED) October 2, 2023