EMEA News
Turkey to Push Ahead With Bosphorus Strait Bypass Canal
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Tuesday said an attempted coup in the country last weekend has not caused any delay to construction plans for Kanal Istanbul, a canal alternative to the Bosphorus Strait, Platts reports.
As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, the canal would link the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, allowing ships to bypass the crowded Bosphorus Strait.
Turkey's government, which approved the canal project in April, is reported to have allocated required land and are said to be preparing to issue tenders for construction later this year.
Announced in 2011, the cost of the canal has been pegged at $10 billion by Erdoğan, although others have put the cost as high as $50 billion.
“We predict that the width of the canal will be 500 meters at the surface and 400 meters at the base. The depth of the water will be 30 meters. Thus, the tankers threatening maritime traffic in the Bosphorus Strait will be able to use the new canal and the strait’s security will be guaranteed,” Transportation, Maritime and Communication Minister Ahmet Arslan told local media earlier this month.
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım says the tender for the project will be held by the end of the year.
