Erdogan wants to start the Istanbul Canal in Summer 2021

Erdogan calls for tenders for the Istanbul Canal, a $9.2 billion project designed to relieve congestion in the Bosphorus Strait and strengthen Turkey's position in world trade, despite criticism of its high cost and environmental impact.

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Erdogan will soon launch a call for tenders for the Istanbul Canal, estimated at $9.2 billion. On Wednesday April 8, 2021, the Chairman announced that he wanted to start the project as early as this summer. Yet the canal is still the subject of criticism.

Erdogan launches tender for USD$9.2 billion canal

This 45-kilometer canal will link the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and indeed to the Mediterranean. Erdogan wants to relieve congestion in the Bosphorus Strait, to minimize the risk of accidents. The canal would have greater capacity and higher tonnages.

This canal would enable Turkey to become an essential axis of world trade. Its cost is estimated at 9.2 billion USD$. The government approved the project last month.

Istanbul Canal.
Future route of the Istanbul Canal.

A channel that draws criticism

The canal is criticized for its cost and environmental impact. Opponents point in particular to the water pollution such a project would cause. Erdogan seems determined, however: Turkey will go ahead with the project “whether we like it or not”.

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