The new Istanbul Canal is the most important project in the history of Turkey, which will move Turkey economically and politically to the ranks of the richest countries in the world and to control the navigation movement more and to relieve pressure on the Bosphorus Strait, which is the most crowded in the world, and within the Montreux International Convention, whose terms were a source of controversy Large over the years due to the restriction of the passage of ships of countries not bordering the Black Sea.
The new Istanbul Canal project is an artificial waterway on the European part of Turkey to connect the Black Sea in the Sea of Marmara and thus the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and parallel to the Bosphorus Strait that connects European Istanbul with Asian Istanbul.
Historical plan of the new Istanbul Canal
The idea of the new Istanbul Canal was not the result of a moment. It was a dream of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He was the first to propose the establishment of the Istanbul Canal during his two-year reign (1520-1566), but for unknown reasons, the project was not implemented.
The idea of the new Istanbul Canal was proposed during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III and the Ottoman sultans, Mehmed IV, Mustafa III and Mahmoud II. As for the modern era of the new Turkey, the adviser to the Ministry of Energy, Yuksel Onim, suggested establishing a waterway parallel to the Bosphorus Strait.
It was also suggested by Nusrat Avci, head of the Environment Committee in the municipality Istanbul The Grand Opening of a water canal between Silivri and Karaköy to relieve pressure and environmental pollution from the Bosphorus Strait.
Until the Justice and Development Party, led by a president, took over Greater Istanbul Municipality The former President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ordered the laying of the foundation stone for a project that is considered the dream of Istanbul in particular, and Turkey in general, in the sixth month of 2021.
istanbul canal route
The route of the Istanbul Canal was chosen after a careful study of about five tracks. According to the Minister of Transport in the Turkish government, a route was adopted that passes from Küçükçekmece Lake near the Sea of Marmara and administratively affiliated to the Kucukcekmece municipality, and then the canal will pass through the regions of Avcilar and Basaksehir and on the bank of the Bahçeşehir region Before finishing in the Black Sea and the Arnavutkoy area, the length of the new Istanbul Canal will be about 45 kilometers and a depth of about 21 meters, and the width of the new Istanbul Canal will be 360 meters.
Criticism of the new Istanbul channel
Many people have criticized the new Istanbul Canal, established by the Turkish government, claiming that Turkey’s goal in the new Istanbul Canal is to circumvent the Montreux International Convention dedicated to the system of straits in the world, and in order to achieve self-control over the passage of commercial and war ships from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and thus the Aegean Sea and the sea Mediterranean.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which is affiliated with parties opposed to the policy of the Justice and Development Party led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, opposed the new Istanbul Canal project because it would eliminate a major lake in Istanbul that feeds a fifth of Istanbul’s population with drinking water. The project was also subjected to environmental criticism, including the destruction of agricultural land and forests And the possibility of pollution in groundwater, an increase in the salinity of the Marmara Sea, an increase in potential floods, in addition to the formation of a population congestion in Istanbul, which has a current population of more than 15 million people.
The cost of the new Istanbul Canal project
The Turkish government will sponsor the new Istanbul Canal project at a cost of up to 15 billion dollars, as stated by the President of the Turkish Republic and some officials in the Greater Istanbul Municipality, and 8-10 thousand people will be employed during the construction period, while 500-800 people will be employed during the operation period.
When will the new Istanbul Canal project end
In the last speech of the President of the Republic of Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the new Istanbul Canal project will be inaugurated and will be in service in 2027 AD, that is, it needs 6 years of work.
What is the importance of the new Istanbul Canal in supporting the Turkish economy and trade?
The canal will be the first waterway in Turkey, and the Bosphorus strait will turn into a secondary waterway and relieve pressure on it, which will give Turkey a great competitive advantage at the level of international transport trade that uses the seas most of the time.
What are the expected revenues from the new Istanbul Canal?
The canal project will generate very large financial profits for Turkey, which will compensate it for the money that the Montreux International Convention has deprived of its collection. Some official reports and statistics say that the new Istanbul Canal will enter Turkey and its financial treasury profits may reach 8 billion dollars annually.
It will contribute to compensating it for the very reduced price for the crossing of commercial and military ships from the Bosphorus Strait. Some issued data indicate that the cost of the new Istanbul Canal will be collected within two years of the canal’s operation. The new price for the transit of ships of all kinds is expected to be $5.5 per ton of cargo.
The impact of the new Istanbul Canal on the real estate market
The impact of the canal project on the increased demand for the purchase of the surrounding lands in the Istanbul Canal, which led to a very large rise in the prices per square meter to rise from 6 dollars to 190 dollars per square meter and from 20 dollars to 800 dollars per square meter in the areas closest to the Istanbul Canal and still The rise in prices continues with every progress made in establishing this channel.
With the progress of the construction of the canal, the rural suburbs between north and central west of Istanbul, which will be connected by 6 bridges along the canal to extend with the current transportation networks, are witnessing a very large urban movement.
With the completion of the canal project, it becomes a major part of Istanbul with an area of 7 million square meters, in addition to a beach and a corniche on both sides of the canal, many gardens, parks, recreational and tourist places, restaurants, luxury hotels, hospitals, schools and international and governmental universities.
