Ben Sulayem held a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the resort town of Marmaris on Sunday, where the pair discussed the possibility of a return of both F1 and the World Rally Championship.
The gathering was hosted by former Turkish rally champion and FIA World Motor Sport Council member Serkan Yazici and Eren Uciertopragi, the President of TOSFED, the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation.
Speaking about the talks, Ben Sulayem said: “It was a pleasure to meet with President Erdogan. Our talks centred on a range of topics. We discussed the possibility of a return of Formula 1 and WRC to Turkey.
“Istanbul Park is a modern circuit which is popular with drivers while the city of Istanbul is a thriving metropolis which would welcome a return of Formula 1 with open arms.
“President Erdogan also recognises the importance of the economic and cultural impact which world class motorsport – Formula 1 and WRC – brings to the country.
“TOSFED, our Member Club in Turkey, have a wealth of experience in organising and managing major motorsport events. If the stars align, we could see a return of both world-class events to Turkey.”
Turkey held an F1 race at the Istanbul Park circuit from 2005 until 2011, and it also returned to the scheduled during the COVID-impacted years of 2020 and 2021.
Source: Autosport