EOC President Spyros Capralos said he had met the Turkish city's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu who had expressed interest.

At this year's Games in Kraków and the Małopolska region, Capralos said discussions were taking place with two unnamed cities for 2027.

Istanbul has emerged as a possible frontrunner for the next edition as the only publicly known city with an interest, but Capralos claimed other countries are interested too.

"We are having different discussions with different people, with the National Olympic Committees of the countries who are interested in organising the next edition of the European Games," he said.

"I cannot hide that we had a very pleasant conversation yesterday with the Mayor of Istanbul, who expressed his interest in organising the European Games here in Istanbul, but we are speaking also with other cities mainly through the National Olympic Committees, and then where there is an interest with the National Olympic Committee we go further to the politicians, because then we are not looking for a country we are looking for a city to organise these Games."

The EOC's Turkish Executive Board member Hasan Arat was praised for his work chairing the Coordination Commission for Kraków-Małopolska 2023, helping to steer it through challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, for which Poland played a leading role in the refugee effort.

Capralos, an International Olympic Committee member in Greece, talked up the capability of Europe's largest city by population staging the fourth edition of the European Games.

"I think you have shown to us you can organise fantastic events with good organisational skills," he said.

"Secondly in Istanbul, you have all the sport facilities ready, so there is no need to spend money to build new facilities, maybe some refurbishment on existing ones which is always needed.

"I think if you decide to go ahead, we will be very honoured to give you that opportunity.

"I think then the programme of the Games will be flexible to accommodate some of the sports from the Turkish side you would like to have."

Arat added "we have everything" to stage the Games after work conducted on previous bids for the Olympics, most recently the 2020 edition, but the decision on whether to press ahead with a formal bid would be down to political leaders.

The first three editions of the European Games have been held in eastern Europe - Azerbaijan's capital Baku in 2015, Belarus' capital Minsk in 2019 and Kraków and Małopolska this year.

Capralos played down the prospect of a first edition in Western Europe in 2027, but insisted this would not diminish the value of the Games.

"It takes two to tango," he said.

"You cannot force anybody if they don't see the interest to organise the Games.

"I think that everybody organising the Games up to now was happy for having done it, and they got European recognition.

"But if we don't have a candidate from western or northern Europe, it doesn’t mean that the Games is not a successful event.

"It gives the possibility for athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games.

"It gives them the possibility to live in a multi-sport environment just one year before the Olympic Games to get that experience.

"It gives the opportunity to all the International and European Federations to test the ground, to see the best athletes instead of organising a separate European Championship.

"Therefore, it is a great opportunity for the athletes, for the National Olympic Committees and also for the athletes to showcase their organisational possibilities.

"In Poland, they succeeded and after they saw the success of the Games, they went for the Olympic Games of 2036.

"It gives everybody a very strong point to convince the IOC later on after having organised a successful European Games."

The EOC President said discussions had taken place with more than one city in the United Kingdom, but not for the 2027 edition.

He added the EOC would "not object" to a co-hosting format with the Games held in more than one country, pointing to ski jumping events being held in Slovenia at this year's Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in Friuli Venezia Giulia in northern Italy.

Istanbul is due to stage the EOC General Assembly tomorrow and on Saturday (October 7).