BY ERGUN BABAHAN
SABAH- Izmir is our dream city. Wherever we go, we see a piece of Izmir. Izmir is both peace and rebellion. So it has been the same for 30 years, because Izmir is the opposition. But it seems that its fate is about to change thanks to the leading role played by President Abdullah Gul, who is currently in Paris to boost Turkey's candidacy to host Expo 2015. The government has also brought forward certain projects to make Turkey an important transportation hub. A planned highway from Edirne to Izmir via Canakkale is like a fast train project which will link the Aydin-Izmir highway to these three metropolises.
But Expo 2015 is something completely different. It's not really on the national radar yet, but if Izmir wins, both this beautiful city and Turkey will be set to gain important advantages. As Gul said, it's a historic opportunity for Izmir and if it wins, it will rise to the occasion. So what is Expo 2015? It's actually a fair which is held every five years. In a vote set for next March, nearly 130 representatives from the Paris-based Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) will choose the city where Expo will be held. Izmir is vying with Milan to host Expo.
As Milan has hosted Expo before, Izmir's chances are rising. But Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi heard that Gul was in Paris and so broke his schedule to rush there too. This shows how determined the Italians are on this. Expo is an important project, because it could inject investments totaling at least $15 billion into the winning city.
If Izmir wins, it will see huge investments like the fast train, five-star hotels, airports, hospitals and even new paving for all the roads. Expo's most famous product in the 160 years of its existence is the Eiffel Tower, which was built thanks to it. The 2005 Expo in Japan attracted 25 million tourists.
Izmir's main theme for its Expo bid is health for everybody. Meanwhile, Milan is focusing on food. Food is the subheading of Izmir's bid. The current meeting in Paris is very important, because to a great extent the decision will be made there. That's why Gul is in Paris despite his busy schedule. If Izmir wins, a special law will be immediately passed to facilitate investments. This issue is so important for Gul that every 10 days he holds a meeting at the Presidential Palace on it and he constantly follows the process.
Gul explained his goal by saying that as president, he wasn't dealing with daily projects but with those having a grand vision. Expo is one of these, he added. Gul has been working for this project for many years in cooperation with politicians, businessmen and representatives of non-governmental organizations in Izmir. We hope that these efforts will bear fruit and Izmir will rise to the occasion.