KTAY criticizes Prime Minister Ünal Üstel over Alayköy Hippodrome protocol

The Cyprus Turkish Jockey Club (KTAY) has issued a sharp criticism of Prime Minister Ünal Üstel regarding the failure to sign a protocol securing the usage rights of the Alayköy Hippodrome. KTAY President Bahir Çetinkaya stated that the club has made significant investments over the last nine months to modernize the facility and develop horse racing using its own resources.

Çetinkaya expressed frustration that although the protocol had reached the signing stage, it was not finalized, with election bans being cited as the reason for the delay. He holds Prime Minister Üstel politically responsible for the impasse, questioning why the process has been delayed for years and why it only reached the signing stage immediately before the election bans.

The club emphasized that they are not seeking special privileges, but rather the legal guarantee of usage rights for the facility they have developed through private investment. Çetinkaya noted that the improvements made at the hippodrome have received appreciation from professional racing circles in Turkey and southern Cyprus.