ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has declared Aegean city of Izmir's candidacy to host EXPO 2015.
Holding a press conference on Tuesday in Ankara, Gul said more than 50 million people would visit Izmir in 2015 in case Izmir is chosen as the host of EXPO.
He said Turkey's Ambassador in Paris Osman Koruturk would submit Turkey's formal application to Bureau of International Exhibitions.
''EXPO is a very important Olympiad for the host country in terms of training and promotion of its culture,'' Gul indicated.
Gul said Turkey joined BIE in 2004 to host EXPO, and became an executive board member in the following year.
Gul said that Izmir's application has the theme of ''New Ways for a Better World/Health to Everybody''.