Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan laid the groundwork for a planned bridge as part of the canal project near Istanbul, which faces criticism from environmental protection activists. Erdogan announced on Saturday that "the project is appropriate from both a legal and scientific standpoint, and Istanbul Canal might be considered one of the most environmentally friendly projects in the world."
The canal project, estimated to cost about $15 billion, has drawn backlash from the Turkish opposition due to its potential to further damage the country’s marine ecosystem. The planned "Sazlidere" bridge is one of six bridges that will span the canal, with a total cost of $1.4 billion, according to Transportation Minister Adil Karaismailoglu's statements in May. In an interview published in the "Hurriyet" newspaper on Saturday, Karaismailoglu noted that the canal's construction will take six years and the costs will be covered by revenues within twelve years.
Dubbed the "crazy project" when Erdogan first announced it a decade ago, the canal will extend 45 kilometers (28 miles), connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, with an anticipated population of about 500,000 in the surrounding area. Critics of the project express concerns about its impact on an international agreement regulating traffic through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, which ensure stability in the Black Sea region.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key opponent of the canal, stated at a press conference last week that the project is a scheme to create a "delusion," adding that "this is not a state project but an electoral project." Imamoglu forced workers to evacuate the Sazlidere bridge construction site, which falls under Istanbul Municipality’s authority, calling it illegal. Meanwhile, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the opposition Republican People's Party, threatened to sever ties and withhold payments from anyone planning to engage in the project should his party succeed in elections and take over the government, stating: "We will prevent them from investing in Turkey."
In response, Erdogan said on Saturday: "They threaten investors, banks, and even countries interested in this project, while all of them will take their money by force through international arbitration."
