JULY 25, 2002

Turkey gets go-ahead to build a circuit

Mumtaz Tahincioglu, the head of the Automobile and Motorsports Federation of Turkey, says that there will be a Turkish GP in 2005. Tahincioglu says that the government has agreed to donate land, fund the construction of a $27m facility and pay $13.5m each year for the right to hold a race.

Four cities are bidding for the race: Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya and Kirsehir. Tahincioglu says that the four projects will be put to Bernie Ecclestone and he will make the decision.

There remains considerable scepticism that the race will ever take place because of the weakness of the current government and the economic problems which have beset the country.