The people of this Turkish city were out in force yesterday to show their passion for the Olympics.

The city of 15 million people, which is known for having one foot in Asia and the other in Europe, was buzzing at the arrival of Beijing Olympic Torch.

A man attempted to snatch the torch but was taken away by Turkish police. The incident did not have any impact on the torch relay.

Huge crowds gathered on a chilly afternoon to celebrate and welcome the flame, reflecting Istanbul's commitment to the Olympic ideals.

The city has made unsuccessful bids to host the past four Olympics but is planning to bid again for the 2020 Games. The country even has an Olympic law - the only one of its kind in the world - which was enacted in 1992 and covers all aspects of organizing the Games.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of both the formation of Turkey's National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the first time it took part in the modern Games.

Speaking from Ankara, the nation's capital, Caner Acikada, a professor at Hacettepe University, said: "Turkey has played a big role in the history of sports, dating back to the earliest days of the Olympics."

The 56-year-old, a former torchbearer and twice head of the Education Commission of the Turkish NOC and its Bidding Committee, said he is proud of the country's Olympic heritage.

"Olympia isn't the only place where such games were held.

"Phoenicians periodically staged events in the city of Olympos in Anatolia (in the former Asia Minor) to praise the god Melkart. These were very similar to those held in Olympia," he said.

"The Phoenicians also had an Olympic flame, which came from Chimera (now Cirali), a local mountain that had a source of natural gas that would burst into flames.

"It was used in a similar way to today's modern Olympic flame - as a symbol of peace and friendship."

Thirty-two ancient stadiums have been excavated so far in Anatolia, some of them dating back to the early classic periods and the Hellenic and Roman periods, Acikada said.

In 2001, Istanbul failed in its bid for the 2008 Games.

But that has not curbed the government's or the people's enthusiasm for this summer's event in Beijing.

Kaan Donmez, a native of Istanbul and one of the torchbearers for the latest stage of the relay, said: "It's not about winning every time an Olympics Games is organized, the whole world wins. There are no losers.

"That we lost the final bid is no reason to be upset it only proves we need to invest more in the future," the 31-year-old employee of D-Market, an e-commerce partner of the Games' Presenting Partner Lenovo, told China Daily.

Togay Bayatli, president of the Turkish Olympic Committee (TMOK), said shortly before the Istanbul leg of the relay began: "As China's friend, Turkey hopes the Games in Beijing will be a successful event."

After a short ceremony, Bayatli handed the torch to Tugba Karademir, a 23-year-old rising star in the world of figure skating.

Despite its hearty welcome, the flame spent less than a day in Istanbul and late yesterday flew to Saint Petersburg, Russia, for its next leg.

(China Daily April 4, 2008)