15/08/2007
NEWS STORY
The Turkish Motorcycling Federation is taking legal action against Bernie Ecclestone, after a company headed by the Englishman took control of the Istanbul Park Circuit, which will host next weekend's Turkish Grand Prix.
In a written statement, Süleyman Memnun, vice chairman of the Turkish Motorcycling Federation revealed that since Ecclestone's company took control it has been revealed that the track will be closed to motorcyclists until 2021.
"For this reason our association is taking legal action on the handover of the facilities, in order to prevent a public facility being closed to Turkish athletes," said Memnun.
In April, a new company Istanbul Park Organization (IPO), a subsidiary of Formula One Administration Ltd (FOA), took a 15-year lease on the track which hosted its first F1 Grand Prix in 2005. However, the circuit is still owned by FIYAS, a company backed by the Turkish government,.
On announcing the deal in April, Ecclestone immediately confirmed that Istanbul would remain a regular feature of the F1 calendar until 2021.
"F1 needs to be in this part of the world," he said. "It is like going to China. Everyone thought I was stark raving mad to take F1 to China but we needed to be there and that is also the case for Turkey."
Ecclestone subsequently claimed that F1 did not need the United States, consequently there is no United States GP in 2008.