+ A
A -
Istanbul: Turkey plans to kick-start construction of a multibillion-dollar canal project that would bypass Istanbul’s Bosporus strait, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, despite criticism from the opposition and environmentalists.
“God willing, we are going to lay the groundwork [of the canal] in [the] summer months,” Erdogan told his ruling party members in parliament in Ankara, adding that a tender process is slated to start soon. Erdogan argues that the proposed 45-kilometre-long canal is a necessary and safe alternative to divert sea transport from the overtaxed Bosporus, connecting the Black Sea and Marmara Sea.
Critics have contested that vessel traffic on Bosporus has been steadily decreasing during the past decade.
According to the Turkish Transport Ministry data, around 38,400 ships crossed the Bosphorus in 2020, compared to nearly 55,000 in 2006 - however the total gross tonnage increased nearly by 30 percent. (dpa)
“God willing, we are going to lay the groundwork [of the canal] in [the] summer months,” Erdogan told his ruling party members in parliament in Ankara, adding that a tender process is slated to start soon. Erdogan argues that the proposed 45-kilometre-long canal is a necessary and safe alternative to divert sea transport from the overtaxed Bosporus, connecting the Black Sea and Marmara Sea.
Critics have contested that vessel traffic on Bosporus has been steadily decreasing during the past decade.
According to the Turkish Transport Ministry data, around 38,400 ships crossed the Bosphorus in 2020, compared to nearly 55,000 in 2006 - however the total gross tonnage increased nearly by 30 percent. (dpa)
