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PrintİSTANBUL (DİHA) - After the important international organizations such as NATO summit, Eurovision, OECD meeting, Formula 1 Istanbul is a candidate along with Essen and Budapest to be the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2010. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, İstanbul municipality, İstanbul governorship and non-governmental organizations started preparations to be the Cultural Capital of Europe.
Preparations for Istanbul to be the Cultural Capital of Europe along with Essen and Budapest in 2010 started. Istanbul will be a candidate since cities from candidate countries can be shown as candidates. İstanbul should prepare a road map until spring of 2006 to be a candidate.
Jury of 7 people will be tried to be persuaded
According to the news in İstanbul Commerce Chamber magazine in İtozvizyon, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, İstanbul municipality, İstanbul governorship and representatives of non-governmental organizations formed a consultative committee to prepare a report for the introduction of İstanbul. Consultative Committee will prepare a report in the coordination of Nuri Çolakoğlu until next spring and present it to European Union Commission. Then the report will be introduced to European jury of 7 people.
Europe has been choosing capitals for 20 years
Europe has been choosing cultural capitals for 20 years. The first cultural capital in 1985 was Athens. Greece Minister of Culture Melina Merkui was the first person to put forward the idea of cultural capital. Until 1999, only the cities EU member countries could have been presented as cultural capital.
EU let other cities to be presented as cultural capital with the decision in 1999. In this way Istanbul could be presented as candidate.
The other cities which had been cultural capital are Florence, Dublin, Lisbon, Anvers, Salonika, Weimar, Graz and Salamanca.
New investment of 14 billion dollars
Some permanent substructure projects should be completed to be cultural capital of Europe. Historical and cultural projects are preferred. Preparations and practice of "cultural capital" organization are more than activities of one year. Cultural centers, museums, exhibitions should be planned and industry heritage must be designed again.
New investment of 14 billion dollars is needed for İstanbul.(fd/mç)