Ecclestone in Turkey to Inspect F1 Candidates

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone began inspecting three Turkish cities on Wednesday to judge their suitability for a Grand Prix.

Turkish motorsport officials are pushing to bring a race to the country in 2005, as Formula One tries to expand its programme of races away from the dominance of western European tracks.

Ecclestone is to visit Turkish candidate cities Istanbul, Izmir and Antalya, missing out on the distant late applicant Kirsehir.

"It is important that the city we choose is known worldwide. For instance when you say Istanbul everyone knows where it is," Ecclestone said in a televised news conference.

"We also have to make sure there are enough hotels. We are hoping you will get 30,000-40,000 people from overseas so we have to make sure they are looked after properly," he said.

Turkey is one of seven countries seeking two spaces on the Formula One calendar that are expected to open up. There is currently no track suitable for Formula One in Turkey.