ACES Delegation Visits Konya

President of the European Capitals and Cities Federation (ACES), Gian Francesco Lupatelli, and his accompanying delegation visited Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay.

After successfully holding the title of World Sports Capital awarded by ACES in 2023, the Konya Metropolitan Municipality applied for Konya’s candidacy for the title of 2026 European Cycling Capital, supported by the city’s growing cycling culture and increasing investments in cycling infrastructure.

Following the application, ACES President Gian Francesco Lupatelli and his accompanying delegation visited Konya to examine the cycling-related initiatives on site and gather information. During their visit, they met with Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay.

During the visit held at the Metropolitan Taş Building, ACES President Lupatelli emphasized that Konya’s candidacy for the title of European Cycling City is highly significant not only for Türkiye, but also for both Asia and Europe. He said, “This title will bring great opportunities to you. I was especially pleased to hear about the distribution of 91,000 bicycles. It is very important that Konya’s cycling project is not just for professionals or champions, but also for the public. We thank you for that. We also appreciate your application and membership. The cycling initiatives carried out by your city should be showcased and promoted across Asia, and especially in Europe. I would like to invite you to a conference that will be held in the coming months. There, we should present your bicycle distribution program in particular, so that others can take it as an example.”

Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay also noted that Konya has long been a cycling city due to its favorable geography, stating: “We all have memories and stories from childhood involving bicycles, because a bicycle was often the only thing we had. As the city grew and developed, bicycle use declined—mainly due to safety concerns for cyclists. However, over the past 10 years, we’ve been working to reverse this trend. We started by building safe bike lanes. With 680 kilometers of bike paths, we are clearly the leader in Türkiye. Now, we are focusing heavily on encouraging more active use of these paths. We’re carrying out exemplary projects such as distributing bicycles to children, encouraging them to ride bikes to school, and repairing bicycles especially in rural areas.”

Mayor Altay also highlighted that one of the key features distinguishing Konya from other cities is the newly built Olympic velodrome, saying: “We now have a fantastic venue where professional-level races can be held. In this way, we’ve created a facility that serves both the public and professional athletes. I consider this a very significant achievement. Hopefully, with your approval, if we are granted the title of 2026 European Cycling City, we plan to organize many events aimed especially at increasing public participation and hosting more international competitions at the velodrome. I hope 2026 will be a wonderful year for all of us—filled with cycling.”

During the visit, the delegation was given detailed information about the bicycle paths implemented in Konya so far, smart bike systems, projects encouraging bicycle transportation, and awareness campaigns.

The title of European Cycling Capital for 2025 was awarded to the city of Manchester in the United Kingdom.