Human Chain Against Canal İstanbul: 'It's Either Canal or İstanbul'

Photos: Zeynep Kuray, Ali Şeker, Oya Ersoy (Twitter)

Click to read the article in Turkish

People held a human chain yesterday (January 12) in Avcılar and Küçükçekmece districts in the European side of İstanbul against the Canal (Kanal) İstanbul, which the government plans to build to connect the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

Led by the "Either the Canal or İstanbul (Ya Kanal Ya İstanbul) Coordination, hundreds of people joined the demonstration, including main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Ali Şeker, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Oya Ersoy and representatives from political parties and trade associations.

CLICK - İstanbulites Queue up to Object to Canal İstanbul

The government's intention to build the canal has led to a row with the opposition, with President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan insisting that they will build the canal no matter what the opposition says. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in December approved the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the project.

Map: AA

The demonstrators carried placards that read, "No to the Canal", "Either the Canal or İstanbul", "We Won't Allow the Canal", "Budget for earthquake, not for the canal."

They pointed to the expected earthquake in the city, calling on the government to allocate resources for preparation to the earthquake rather than building the canal.

"Public resources should be used for the city's inhabitants who face the earthquake danger and our city should be prepared for the earthquake," said Turgay Halis Çelik, reading a statement in the name of the Avcılar City Council.

"If we did not have a Bosphorus naturally formed by the geodynamic forces of the earth, the canal project might be a need, just like Panama, Suez and Corinth strait. However, we have a natural Bosphorus and the canal project is also more dangerous for ship navigation as it is longer, narrower and shallower."

"In other words, there is no project in which we will survive the passings without an accident or trouble. Those who claim that money will be earned from the project are misguided. The rules laid down by both the Montreux Convention and the international maritime law are clear. Unless there is a situation that you put a toll booth at the entrance of the canal and force people to pay, no money will be made from navigations."

The construction of the canal will also "deepen the economic crisis for laborers," the statement further said and called on people to oppose the canal project.

Canal (Kanal) İstanbul project

President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement in 2011, when he was still the Prime Minister. In his speech, he mentioned "a new İstanbul" objective. Presented as a "crazy project", the plan referred to 'Canal İstanbul' for the first time.

What is in the 'crazy project'?

The basic information as to the project was shared with the public at a press conference in Haliç Congress Center in 2011.

The plan foresaw an artificial sea-level waterway that would connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Accordingly, the project was extending from the region known as old stone pits on Black Sea shores in the north to Sarıyer in the east and Karaburun in the west. While the residences in Sarıyer center, Kemerburgaz, Göktürk and Arnavutköy have been excluded from the project, the damaged parts of the forest along the forest boundary have been included in the project. Sarıyer region, which is a historical protected area, marked the eastern border of the project.

The work area was determined as 33 thousand 500 hectares and located at the borders of Arnavutköy, Eyüp and Sarıyer districts. There were 21 villages with a population of 41 thousand 749 people within the designated work area.

The most important aspect of the project was the integration of transportation. The construction of 3rd Bosphorus bridge foreseen by the project has been completed. Minister Arslan stated that they would start the construction work this year.

Region opened to unearned income with bag bill

In May 2016, 32 articles of 20 laws were amended. An additional article added to the Pasture Law has paved the way for the region's zoning for construction.

With another amendment introduced to the law, it has been understood that the access roads to the Canal İstanbul will be toll roads.

Its route was announced in 2018

Ahmet Arslan, the then Minister of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications, announced the route of the project in 2018. He said that the canal would form an artificial waterway from the Black Sea to Marmara Sea, covering 45 kilometers from Küçükçekmece Lake through Küçükçekmece-Sazlıdere-Durusu corridor.

(RT/VK)