The construction of an artificial canal, which is to become a main sea route connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and replacing the Bosphorus in this respect, was inaugurated in Istanbul at the end of June 2021. During the ceremony organized on the occasion of the commencement of the investment, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented the Istanbul Canal (tur. Kanal İstanbul) as a fundamental project for the future of Turkey.
KBN Analysis no. 10 (90) / 2021
12 July 2021
The construction of an artificial canal, which is to become a main sea route connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and replacing the Bosphorus in this respect, was inaugurated in Istanbul at the end of June 2021. During the ceremony organized on the occasion of the commencement of the investment, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented the Istanbul Canal (tur. Kanal İstanbul) as a fundamental project for the future of Turkey. According to the politicians of the ruling Justice and Development Party, an implementation of the project would strengthen sovereignty of the state and increase its international importance. However, opponents of the government's plans (including Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu) point to numerous threats and challenges (e.g. economic, international, environmental, and social) related to the construction of the canal.
In the Photo: President Erdoğan delivers his speech at the ceremony inaugurating the construction of the Istanbul Canal. Photo Credit Twitter.