Erdogan inaugurates the controversial canal project, Istanbul Mayor has nightmares about it
Jun 28, 2021
Nicosia [Cyprus], June 28 : Ignoring strong reservations and objections from many quarters, Turkey's autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday took the first step for the implementation of his most ambitious mega project called the Canal Istanbul project, with the groundbreaking ceremony at Sazlidere dam. The project, which Erdogan described as "crazy" when he first suggested back in 2011, involves the digging of an artificial 45-kilometer canal, parallel to the Bosporus, linking the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. The planned canal is expected to be used by 160 vessels a day, supposedly to ease congestion and diminish the risk of accidents in the Bosporus strait. The project includes the construction of new seaports, bridges, businesses, housing districts, a marina, and artificial lakes.