The planned canal is meant to provide relief to shipping traffic between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, particularly oil tanker traffic, through the Bosphorus. The 45-kilometer canal, which will be built west of the city center on the European side of Istanbul province, is to boost capacity to 160 vessels a day. It is one of Turkey’s most strategic megaprojects and plans to eliminate the rising risk posed by ships carrying dangerous goods through the Bosphorus.



Kanal Istanbul will put Turkey forward on global trade, minister says. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s in known as the “crazy project,” the Kanal Istanbul has been on the government’s agenda since 2011, but its realization has been delayed several times due to financial problems and environmental concerns.