(Reuters) - Istanbul has been unanimously chosen as the host for the fourth European Games in 2027, the European Olympic Committees (EOC) said on Monday.
The multi-sport event, first staged in 2015, was the fifth continental Games to be established after the Asian Games, Pan American Games, Pacific Games and African Games.
"Istanbul and Turkey have long been good friends of international sport," EOC president Spyros Capralos said in a statement. "We know it will be the perfect place for Europe's best athletes to shine in 2027."
Istanbul will not build any new venues for the Games, relying on existing infrastructure.
The executive committee's decision will be presented to the EOC's general assembly in June for final approval.
Staging the European Games in 2027 is part of Turkey's bid to win hosting rights for the Olympics and Paralympics in 2036, the country's National Paralympic Committee president Murat Aksu said last year.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
