The foundations of the first Olympic Velodrome in Turkey have been laid. The velodrome, being built in Konya’s central Meram district, will have a 250-meter track and will host international races, and it aims to become a high-level training area.
Konya, which is known as the “capital of cycling” in Turkey, gains another very important sports facility. Turkey’s first Olympic velodrome is being built in Konya, which is the most bicycle-riding city in Turkey due to its geographical structure and which has trained many champion cycling athletes in its history. Built on an area of 17.600 square meters, the complex will have a runway length of 250 meters and reach a capacity of 2275 spectators. The Olympic Velodrome is expected to host international sports events.
WE CARE ABOUT PUBLIC ACCESS TO SPORTS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN
Kasapoğlu stated that “We care about the public’s access to sports, especially women. I find it very meaningful at the point of spreading sports to the public. In this sense, I believe that the more powerful and continuous use of the facilities in Konya will bring us different success. We have made great moves in order to make Konya a brand city in sports tourism, as in every field. I believe that the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games, the best organization in history, will be held in this beautiful host of Konya. The Olympic pool, athletics track, and other facilities, which we have laid the foundations of in the last few months, are rising one by one. Hopefully, we will complete the velodrome, which we have laid the foundation recently, within 6-7 months as soon as possible. Here, we will host many national and international organizations.”
WE OFFER ATHLETES THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES IN MANY AREAS
Minister Kasapoğlu uttered that “We will also offer our athletes the training they have long been waiting for and the opportunity to improve themselves in many areas. This is a struggle, and above all, this struggle has a vision of unity, faith, brotherhood together with the leadership of our President. We both feel and experience this every day in order to raise the bar in every field, hand in hand with all institutions.”
THE FIRST INDOOR VELODROM IN TURKEY
Murat Kurum, Environment and Urban Planning Minister, said that “Konya Velodrome, which is the first Olympic Velodrome in Turkey, has a construction area of 17,600 square meters, has a capacity of 2,275 spectators. The 250- meter track length of Konya Velodrome will make Konya the center of cycling in the world. We have completed 25 percent of the construction. It will be completed and put into service at the end of September and Turkey will have its first indoor Velodrome. I would like to express my gratitude to our Minister, on behalf of our people from Konya, for this facility, which will contribute to the world cycling sport, Konya’s urbanism and tourism with an investment of approximately 100 million TL by our Ministry of Youth and Sports. I wish Konya Velodrome will bring good luck to Konya, our country, our nation and our young athletes.”
WE HAVE COMPLETED A TOTAL 480 KILOMETER OF BIKE LANE VIA MINISTRY
Minister Kurum stated that “With the goal of “Greener and Lively Cities”; We plan to build 3000 kilometers of bike lane by 2023. So far, we have completed a total of 480 kilometers of bike lane only with the help of the ministry. We rapidly continue the construction works of the 450-kilometer bike lane of which project has been completed. We also financially support the bike lane projects in many districts such as Afyon Bolvadin, Malatya Yeşilyurt, Antalya, Rize, İstanbul, Trabzon, Batman, Mersin, Muğla Seydikemer and Konya Kulu. We prepare our master plan for the bike lanes. We will combine the Europe Bike Lane and Turkey Bike Lane via this master plan. We will build new bike lanes in historical, touristic and natural areas in our country. Now, we work together with Bilkent University.
WE SURROUND OUR COUNTRY WITH BIKE LANES
Kurum stated that “We have completed the plans for Ankara-Konya-Nevşehir-Kayseri and Ankara-Eskişehir-Bursa-Sakarya, which are the main lines of the 1700 kilometer Master Plan. Now we have started the application projects of our bike lanes to be built on this route. We hope to start the construction of this route this summer. We hope to surround our country with bike lanes. When the projects are completed, a person who rides his bike will be able to travel uninterruptedly from Edirne to Hakkari, from Sinop to Hatay. In addition to this project that will mark the future of Turkey; we also support the Turkish football again. We have completed the construction of a total of 19 stadiums in our country together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. We have built public gardens to replace many old stadiums, and we continue to build. Finally; within the scope of the Project of Spreading Sports to the Public, initiated by our minister; In order to create areas where our youth can do sports in 39 provinces, we have allocated our 2.3 million square meters of treasury land to our Ministry of Youth and Sports and our municipalities.”
KONYA IS THE CAPITAL OF BICYCLE WITH 600.000 CYCLISTS
Kurum stated that “We care about the Project of Spreading Sports to the Public. We support all the projects that will be implemented for our people of all ages to do sports. As the Ministry, we support our youth at the point of both the allocation of our treasury immovables and the construction of sports centers. Konya is the capital of bicycle with 600.000 cyclists. The city is at the top with its 515 km length of bike lanes. Cycling is a lifestyle for the citizens. As I remember from our childhood, there was a bicycle in almost every house in Konya. Our elders called the bicycle as “velespit”. We used to go shopping, go to watch football matches, travel to Meram or Sille with our friends by our bikes. Our municipalities continue to work upon bicycles. Via bicycle, clean transportation will increase, the environment will remain clean, the traffic burden of cities will decrease and people’s health will be much better.”