Last Day to Object to Canal İstanbul

The 10-day period of objection against the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of Canal İstanbul project will end today. Citizens all across the country can submit their petitions by the end of business day.

İstanbul

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The 10-day period of objection against the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of Canal İstanbul project will end today (January 2).

CLICK - EIA Report of Canal İstanbul Project Approved

After the Board of Inspection and Survey of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization approved the EIA report of the project foreseeing an artificial sea-level waterway across İstanbul, the report was opened to the comments and criticisms of the public for 10 days from December 23 to January 2.

Accordingly, the citizens can raise their objections and offer their comments until the end of business day today.

CLICK - İstanbulites Queue up to Object to Canal İstanbul: We are Worried for Next Generations

Since December 23, citizens across the country, especially İstanbulites, have queued up in front of Provincial Directorates of Environment and Urbanization affiliated with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and submitted their petitions of objection.

As the period of objection is about to end, citizens can object to the project by either submitting petitions to the Provincial Directorates of Environment and Urbanization in person or online petitions to the Presidency Communication Center (CİMER) by the end of business day.

Canal İstanbul (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.

(HA/SD)