Kanal İstanbul

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has put forward his objection to the environmental impact report for the Kanal Istanbul project, a planned artificial waterway planned to connect the Black Sea and Marmara Sea northwest of Istanbul.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has vowed to realize the Kanal Istanbul project despite the opposition and said the government plans to build two "modern cities" as part of the project.

The Kanal Istanbul will make Turkey a leading country and place it forward on global trade, the country's environment minister said on Dec. 28.

"Kanal Istanbul is a project of protection and rescue of the Bosphorus, the freedom project of the Bosphorus," Murat Kurum told a local party meeting in Denizli province.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 27  reiterated Turkey's "determination" to realize the Kanal Istanbul project and slammed the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) criticisms.

"They are trying to end the project before it begins, with some claims that have no scientific, logical or reasonable explanation," Erdoğan said.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Dec. 25 outlined 15 reasons to oppose the planned Kanal Istanbul project.

Turkey's Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum has refuted recent claims about people, especially foreigners from oil-rich Arab countries, buying land from the Kanal Istanbul area, also saying that the Istanbul Municipality should also be part of the project.

The Turkish Environment and Urbanization Ministry has announced the final approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the planned Canal Istanbul project on Dec. 23. Canal Istanbul is a mega-infrastructure project involving the construction of a 45-kilometer shipping canal in Istanbul parallel to the Bosphorus Strait.

Turkey will hold a tender for Canal Istanbul,  a mega-infrastructure project involving the construction of a 45-kilometer shipping canal in Istanbul parallel to the Bosphorus Strait, in the coming weeks, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Dec. 19 accused the government of "betraying" the metropolis Istanbul with the planned Canal Istanbul project. He also claimed that the project will not be actualized because there will be "a change of government in the next elections."

The Turkish government is committed to moving forward with the construction of the multibillion-dollar giant Kanal Istanbul project, the transportation minister has said, informing that companies from Benelux countries have shown a big interest in the project whose planning stage is about to be concluded.