Turkey committed to Kanal Istanbul project

The Turkish government is committed to moving forward with the construction of the multibillion-dollar giant Kanal Istanbul project, the transportation minister has said, informing that companies from Benelux countries have shown a big interest in the project whose planning stage is about to be concluded.
"Our talks for financing are underway. The Chinese are interested, but the most interest in the project is shown by Benelux countries. They have business experience and a technology basis in this field," Transportation Minister Cahit Turhan told the Hürriyet Daily News on Nov. 15 during a visit to the Demirören Media Center in Ankara.
Turhan has said that the planning stage of Kanal Istanbul is about to be accomplished before the government moves forward, with going out to tender for around $20 billion project.
With the project, the government is aiming at opening an artificial seaway between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea in order to mitigate the oil tanker traffic through the Bosphorus as well as constructing new earthquake-resistant residential areas along the channel. 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.
If completed, the artificial seaway will be a 43-kilometer-long and 400-meter-wide canal crossed by six bridges. Environmentalists have voiced serious concerns about the artificial channel by arguing that the seaway will damage underground water resources of Istanbul and will threaten the Marmara Sea along with other social and urbanization risks.
"Kanal Istanbul is a transportation project and has to be realized. It's necessary," Turhan said, drawing attention to the...