Erdogan forges ahead with his 'dream' to build a canal to rival Suez

The government wants to dig an artificial waterway between Istanbul’s two seas to spur economic growth, but conservationists and economists say the Istanbul Canal will prove costly for the city.
A ferry, with a new mosque under construction at Camlica hill in the background, sets sail in the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, July 31, 2017. Picture taken July 31, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1F1AF244B0
A ferry, with a new mosque under construction on Camlica Hill in the background, sets sail on the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey, July 31, 2017. - REUTERS/Murad Sezer
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Turkey is moving forward with controversial plans to build a canal to rival Suez and Panama, but it threatens to wreak environmental havoc, destroy budgetary balances and drive sprawl in Europe’s biggest city.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Oct. 10 that "ground-breaking" would take place within months for the Istanbul Canal, which he dubbed his “crazy project” when he introduced it in 2011.

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