Istanbul’s European credentials

Despite Turkey not yet being a member of the European Union, Istanbul has emerged as a front-runner for the Academy of Urbanism’s European City of the Year 2007.

Last March saw the 20th anniversary of the European Union, which was formed on the 14th of March 1987. Although Turkey has been an EU Associate member since 1964 and officially recognised as a candidate for membership in 1999, the country only started negotiations for EU accession in 2005, a process which is likely to take at least a decade.

Nonetheless, when the competition for this year’s European City of the Year 2007 award was launched at the MIPIM International Property Fair in Cannes, Istanbul featured prominently. It was followed by Rome, Barcelona and Paris. Behind these early front-runners, a larger group included Budapest, Stockholm, Athens, Berlin, Madrid, Prague, Munich, Amsterdam, St Petersburg, Valencia and Riga. The European City of the Year category, which alternates annually between Great Britain and Ireland for one year, and mainland Europe the next, opened to cities in mainland Europe for 2007.

“The first four in the breakaway group were getting twice as many votes as the rest of the peleton,” said John Thompson, chairman of the Academy of Urbanism. Thompson was responsible for launching the competition in Cannes. According to him, “the canvas of Europe that is being laid out before us for potential assessment brings together a fascinating collection of places. What is more is that we’re looking forward to engaging with the three finalists.”

In addition to the European City of the Year 2007 award, the Academy will also be making awards in four categories: Great Town; Great Neighbourhood; Great Street and Great Place in Britain and Ireland. “We’re encouraging as many people as possible to log on to our website to make their nominations,” Thompson said. Nominations, which may be made by anyone on the Academy’s website, close on Friday, 13th April.

The Academy’s awards team will then select ten in each category to go forward to the Nominations Dinner in the Royal Hospital, Dublin, on May 24th of which a total of 15 finalists (three in each category) will be chosen. These will be assessed against the Academy’s key principles of governance, local character and distinctiveness, user friendliness, commercial success and viability, environmental and social sustainability, and functionality.

All of the aforementioned qualities could be beneficial to those considering the purchase of a property in Istanbul. A three-bedroom apartment in the potential European City of the Year 2007 is currently on the market for £35,000 through Vantage Turkey Ltd. The duplex apartment, located in the Bayramoglu Complex, on the outskirts of Istanbul, is situated 20 kilometres from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and 25 kilometres from Formula Grand Prix Istanbul Park.

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Istanbul’s European credentials

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