Turkey COULD return in 2018...

After the July 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, Turkey is currently far too unstable to host a Grand Prix.

 

I saw the pictures yesterday of Chasey Carey and that Erdogan character. I honestly thought F1 was late with their April 1st joke! Great track but wtf? Bernie has gotten a lot of stick for hosting GP talks in far more stable countries. Erdogan only last week told us that the entirety of western Europe are Nazi's. He's refused entry to hotels and the country for Germans and Dutch people...yet they want to race here? How many german and Dutch drivers and media is out there in F1 atm?

 

Turkey has experienced some critical and unpleasent incidents in the last couple of years, but it is not as unstable as you think it is. Security measures were enhanced, and people are far more cautious than they were before. Unstability is still present, not in capital cities like İstanbul or Ankara but in the eastern part of Turkey.

These things happen in Germany, Belgium or France, too. We just have to be careful and prudent. In addition, Turkish supporters have been longing for F1 in İstanbul for a long time. The atttendance was kinda low back in the days, but the interest in F1 has grown in Turkey, and Turkish supporters are organizing themselves to attend the GP in İstanbul if İstanbul Park returns.

Let's hope F1 brings us together again (Btw, I'm a Turkish person).

 

Good to know with regards to security enhancement. I realize thats its(Istanbul) a "hub" for terrorists organizations coming and going in and out of European Countries as I am privy to such info. I hope they really beef up security even more-so at an F1 venue IF it opens there.

 

Two reasons for the Turkish GP failing were:

1) The high fees required to put the race on.
2) The general lack of interest in F1 in Turkey and the lack of any meaningful crowds attending the race because of it.

What's changed?

 

I really hope so. I don't think they will leave any threat to chance considering how great and impactful F1 is.

 

1) As much as I heard, new management does not demand a fee as high as what Bernie demanded. The government also did not like his attitude.

2) As I mentioned, interest has grown quite remarkably. And those interested people know F1 stuff.

 

Love the track but Turkey has plenty of spillover from Assyria right now, I thought Bahrain was risky, but Turkey would be asking for trouble I think

 

A PR exercise for Erdogan ?

He surely needs it !!!