Should Canal İstanbul be built or not?

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The Presidency Communications Directorate and the opposition-led İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) have prepared websites on Canal İstanbul, a planned artificial waterway running parallel to the Bosphorus strait.

The Communications Directorate's website ending in .gov includes information about ship accidents in Bosphorus in history, other canals in the world and the Montreux Convention on the Regime of the Straits.

It says the canal will reduce marine traffic in Bosphorus and a new city with a "horizontal architecture" will be created around the canal.

The work for the canal started on Saturday (June 26) and it is expected to be completed in six years, according to the government.

The IMM's website examines the possible impact of the canal under six parts: maritime affairs, earthquake, climate and environment, urban planning, cultural and natural heritage and traffic and transportation.

The website also shows comparisons as to what could have been done with 15 billion dollars, the cost of the canal when it's completed, according to the government.

The site also points out that companies that undertake the construction of the canal are guaranteed an annual income of 100 million euros after it becomes operational. (TP/VK)