This will be a significant step in the history of Turkish cycling
The President of the Turkish Cycling Federation, Emin Müftüoğlu, announced that the Mountain Bike World Championship will take place in Turkey for the first time, stating, "We will host the World Championship in Turkey, and this will be one of the most significant steps in the history of Turkish cycling".
Before the General Assembly of the Turkish Cycling Federation, which will be held on September 26, Müftüoğlu declared that he would run for president again. In a statement to the İhlas News Agency (IHA), he expressed that they are preparing for the assembly with new excitement. "We are preparing for this assembly with a completely new excitement, and our preparations are almost complete. We are in contact with our delegates, both face-to-face and via phone. We are ready for this new congress together with our team. We wish for our new congress to be beneficial for the entire cycling family and our country," he said.
WE WANT TO ACT AS A FAMILY AIMING FOR MEDALS
In response to a question regarding support letters from Ünal Tolun, Ömer Şahin, Yalçın Arslan, and Erol Küçükbakırcı, who have made significant contributions to Turkish cycling history, Müftüoğlu stated, "The cycling community has truly become one cohesive unit. I want to thank Ünal Tolun, Ömer Şahin, Yalçın Arslan, and Erol Küçükbakırcı. All the presidents who have served for many years are now supporting us. This means they want unity. We also want to ensure this unity and act as a single entity, as a family aiming for medals in the Olympics held in Europe and around the world".
WE HAVE ALWAYS HELD OUR DESERVED PLACES IN CYCLING TOURS
Providing information about the World Tour, Müftüoğlu stated, "Next year, the 60th World Tour will be held. Over these 60 years, a lot has changed. The presidents who have been in charge for about 44 of these 60 years have already supported us. This shows that they did good things. We are also striving to elevate the flag we inherited to a higher level. We will conduct the 60th year of the World Tour in the best possible way, and we have always taken the places we deserve in cycling tours around the world. In the future, we will have a contract with the World Tour again in three years. We will continue as a professional tour".
WE WILL EMBARK ON A JOURNEY TO WIN MEDALS AT THE OLYMPICS
Talking about the cycling training camps and tours held in Turkey, Müftüoğlu mentioned, "We conduct over 260 days of camps, training, and competitions each year. This means our activities continue intensively throughout the year. I would like to thank our president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for all the support he has provided for the development of cycling culture. I also want to thank our Minister of Youth and Sports, Osman Aşkın Bak, and former Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, who have made significant contributions to our achievements. Together with Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, we have done many great things. A cycling family aiming for medals in Europe and the world has emerged. You know about the project we launched in 2009, which led us to become European champions. Last year, we earned our second and third medals in history at the European and world levels: one bronze and one silver medal. If we are re-elected, we will set out with the goal of winning medals at the Olympics".
WE GATHERED ALL STAR ATHLETES IN KONYA
Müftüoğlu also spoke about the Konya Velodrome, the first indoor velodrome built in Turkey: "Cycling tourism is currently a rapidly developing and unique sector in Turkey. Our ministers are working on projects related to bike-friendly hotels, and we have already begun to see the results. The cycling sector of the European Union, with tourism revenues of $44 billion, has surpassed the established sector. To develop cycling tourism, it is necessary to build velodromes and other sports facilities in tourist regions, which will enable our country to earn more money. We will contribute to the development of the cycling sector in our country. However, while doing this, we will implement very important projects at the velodrome for the future. We have brought medals; we did not do this yesterday, nor the day before; we are doing it today. In future infrastructure projects, we gathered all star athletes in Turkey in Konya and created a network. We say that together with 20-25 of these athletes, by moving their schools there, we will create one of the velodrome centers in the world in Konya, and this will elevate Turkish cycling".
A LONG YEAR OF MARATHON AWAITS US
In response to the question of whether he plans to participate in the management of European and World Cycling Federations, Müftüoğlu stated, "Of course, as you know, we have been elected as the President of the Balkan Cycling Union and we continue our work. Soon, we will also serve as a board member in the World Cycling Federation. Our next goal, of course, is to take part in higher-level management positions. We have previously held positions in world governance; we chaired the Mountain Biking Commission. We are again seeking the same roles. First, we hope to successfully pass these elections, and then we will participate in Balkan, European, and world elections. A long year of marathon awaits us. We will elevate Turkish cycling governance to the highest levels, alongside our lobbying efforts."
Müftüoğlu also announced that the Mountain Bike World Championship will be held in Turkey for the first time: "Now I want to share good news. We have brought the Mountain Bike World Championship to Turkey for the first time. We will have more surprises; when things are clarified, we will announce them in the coming days. In fact, it has already been confirmed, and tomorrow I will have another meeting. We will hold the world championship in Turkey, and this will be one of the most significant steps in the history of Turkish cycling. On Thursday, we will bring that flag to Turkey. This is the biggest news, and we have important projects regarding the infrastructure".
EVERYONE WHO COMPLETES PRIMARY SCHOOL WILL LEARN TO RIDE A BIKE
Discussing infrastructure works, Müftüoğlu mentioned, "We worked closely with the Ministry of Education to include cycling in the curriculum years ago. As you know, some schools in sports high schools offer only cycling education. This gives cycling a different dimension. We continued the bicycle training and riding program in safe schools, which we started with the gendarmerie in pilot regions. Now, just like we did before with the Ministry of Education, we are bringing back bicycle education in the curriculum. Starting from primary schools, we are launching a major project 'Let No One Be Without a Bicycle' in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Everyone who finishes primary school will learn to ride a bicycle. We have prepared all the necessary infrastructure for this. A new world of cycling will emerge in Turkey. This project, starting from primary school, will be a significant step together with our Ministry of Education. We place great importance on infrastructure. We trained in Switzerland in 2010; now there will be no need for that. I have made agreements with the World Cycling Federation on this. There are centers in South Africa, India, and Colombia. Now, Konya will become the education center of the Middle East. We have completed our studies on this. Without the need to go to Switzerland, a whole new cycling family will form in Konya with all the coaches".
