Istanbul addresses protests in 2020 Games presentation

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Leaders of Istanbul's bid for the 2020 Olympics say "the voice of tolerance" will prevail after the civil unrest that has roiled Turkey over the past two weeks and raised questions about the country's readiness to host the games.

Istanbul officials addressed the anti-government protests directly in their presentation Saturday to a meeting of more than 200 national Olympic committees from around the world.

Less than three months before the IOC vote, rival bidders Madrid and Tokyo also made their case to the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Lausanne.

Turkish IOC member Ugur Erdener, head of Turkey's Olympic Committee, told the delegates he wanted to speak "about the headlines you may be reading."

He says "the path of a democratic nation is not always an easy one but it is the right one."

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