İzmir’s candidacy for EXPO 2015

Turkey with its location at the crossroads of religions and cultures has always been a gateway between the East and the West, the North and the South.

Throughout centuries various ethnic groups and peoples of different faith co-existed in our land, cultivating a deep rooted tradition of inter-cultural harmony and tolerance. With this background, Turkey is suitable to serve as an appropriate location for expressing and evaluating ideas and for demonstrating and comparing skills through which a beneficial atmosphere of mutual understanding and fellowship can be developed between different cultures.

With this understanding the Turkish Government have forwarded the candidacy of İzmir, under the theme “New Routes to a Better World/Health for All”. Turkey’s official application has been submitted to the International Exhibitions Bureau on 3rd May 2006.

The selection of “health” as theme is meant to draw the attention of world public opinion to an enhanced understanding of the benefits being brought by advances in science and technology. By doing so, we are also hoping to contribute to achieving the UN Millennium Goals in this area.

Moreover, the city of İzmir which has an important and prominent place in Turkey’s history, commerce and tourism is particularly chosen for this candidacy. With its natural beauties and various archeological sites such as Ephesus which embraces the Church and House of Virgin Mary as well as the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, İzmir is the center of tourism in the region. Furthermore Turkey’s third largest city and second most important port, İzmir is a city of commerce and industry as well as a center for international cultural and artistic events.

İzmir which has hosted many highly successful exhibitions throughout its history is precisely the suitable city to host this wide-reaching exhibition. Besides numerous fairs and international cultural and artistic events, İzmir has also hosted the 2005 Summer Universiade with outstanding success.
The Turkish authorities attach utmost importance to this candidature which is a Government Project. İzmir’s candidacy receives full support from the Turkish business community, various NGO’s and Turkish people.

Relying on her historical background, unique location in the world and coherence with EXPO’s mission, Turkey is eager to host EXPO 2015 to contribute to the world’s peaceful and sustainable development.