Flame leaves Istanbul for St. Petersburg

The last torchbearer in Istanbul, Taner Sagir, the weightlifting gold medalist in the 77-kg category at Athens 2004, reached Taksim Square at 7:00 p.m. (GMT +3) to light the cauldron, concluding the second leg of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay outside of the Chinese mainland.

According to Qu Yingpu, a spokesman from BOCOG's Torch Relay Center, the relay in Istanbul was a success, and the torch was enthusiastically received all along the route.

Detailed arrangements by the governments of Turkey and Istanbul, the Turkish Olympic Organizing Committee and the Chinese embassy in Turkey ensured a safe and orderly relay, he said. He expressed belief that success here and in the previous leg in Almaty indicated continued success for the relay.

Following the relay, the Torch Relay operations team left Istanbul and arrived in the next city on the relay route, St. Petersburg, at 3:00 a.m. (GMT +4). The operations team will have a day of rest on April 4, and the Torch Relay will resume in St. Petersburg on April 5.