Revision 109578438 of "Portal Diskussion:Canal Istanbul" on dewiki

{{Infobox Canal
  |name        = Istanbul Canal
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  |start       = [[Black Sea]]
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  |end         = [[Sea of Marmara]]
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  |status      = First Proposed 1591, Pre-Feasibility Studies commenced April 2009, Announced April 2011, Feasibility Studies scheduled for April 2012
  |nav         = Istanbul Canal
}}

'''Istanbul Canal''' ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]: Kanal İstanbul) is the name of the artificial [[sea-level]] waterway, which is proposed to be built by the [[Republic of Turkey]] on the European side of Turkey, connecting the [[Black Sea]] to the [[Sea of Marmara]]. Canal  Istanbul would disect the current European side of Istanbul into two and thus create an Island between the continents of Asia and Istanbul (The Island would have a shoreline to the Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Istanbul Canal and the Bosphorus).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/04/27/general-eu-turkey-new-waterway_8436749.html |publisher=Forbes |title=Turkey to build new waterway to bypass Bosporus |date=2011-04-27 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jgvdu6fhcLQ4xMNHGiu9TXR-S_qQ?docId=N0140121303897060910A |newspaper=[[Associated Press|UK News]] |title=Turkey plans 'crazy' new canal |date=2011-04-28 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13207304 |newspaper=[[BBC]] |title=Turkey to build waterway to bypass Bosphorus Straits |date=2011-04-27 }}</ref> The new waterway would bypass the current [[Bosphorus]]. Istanbul Canal aims to minimise shipping traffic in the Istanbul Strait. The project is intended for the  [[Atatürk's_Reforms#Establishment_of_the_Republic|100th anniversary in 2023]] of the foundation of the [[Turkish Republic]].

==Historical projects==
The concept of a canal linking the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara has been proposed at least seven times in history.<ref name="h1"/> 

The first proposal was made by [[Ottoman sultan]] [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] (reigned 1520&ndash;1568). His architect [[Mimar Sinan]] was said to have devised plans for the project. The project was abandoned for unknown reasons.<ref name="h1">{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/17655112.asp |newspaper=[[Hürriyet]] |title=1994’te Ecevit ortaya attı, manşetlere ‘mega proje’ diye yansıdı |date=2011-04-28 |language=Turkish |accessdate=2011-05-01 }}</ref>

On March 6, 1591, during the reign of Sultan [[Murad III]], an imperial [[ferman]] (order) was issued and work on the project recommenced, but again for unknown reasons the project was stopped. 

In 1654 during the reign of Sultan [[Mehmed IV]], pressure for the recomencement of the canal was applied but to no avail. 

Sultan Mustafa III (reigned 1757&ndash;1774) tried twice in 1760 but the project could not go ahead due to economic problems. 

During the reign of Sultan [[Mahmud II]], an Imperial Ottoman Committee was established to examine the project once again. A report was prepared in 1813 but no concrete steps were taken. 

Finally, on January 17, 1994 shortly before the [[Turkish local elections, 1994|local elections]], the leader of the [[Democratic Left Party (Turkey)|Democratic Left Party]] (DSP) [[Bülent Ecevit]] proposed a canal connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.<ref name="h1"/><ref name="cnn3">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnnturk.com/2011/yasam/diger/04/27/kanal.istanbul.ecevitin.projesi.cikti/614738.0/ |newspaper=[[CNN Türk]] |title="Kanal İstanbul" Ecevit'in projesi çıktı |date=2011-04-27 |language=Turkish |accessdate=2011-05-01 }}</ref>

==Istanbul Canal==
It was not until April 2009, when the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP) government began secret studies into the project once again and that concrete steps were taken for the revival of the project. The project was mentioned by [[Ministry of Transport and Communication (Turkey)|Minister of Transport]] [[Binali Yıldırım]] in May 2009 at the parliament.<ref name="cnn2">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnnturk.com/2011/yasam/diger/04/27/cilgin.projeyi.binali.yildirim.daha.once.aciklamisti/614719.0/index.html |newspaper=[[CNN Türk]] |title="Çılgın proje"yi Binali Yıldırım daha önce açıklamıştı |date=2011-04-27 |language=Turkish |accessdate=2011-05-01 }}</ref> Prime minister [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] announced the "Istanbul Canal" project on April 27, 2011 during a rally held in connection with the upcoming [[Turkish general election, 2011|2011 general elections]], calling it as his "crazy project" ({{lang-tr|çılgın proje}}).<ref name="d1">{{cite news |url=http://www.dha.com.tr/pm-erdogan-speaks-out-his-crazy-project-canal-istanbul-flashaber_158456.html |publisher=Doğan Haber Ajansı |title=PM Erdoğan speaks out his ‘crazy project’; İstanbul Canal |author=Çıtak, Pınar |date=2011-04-27 |accessdate=2011-00-01 }}</ref>

The main purpose of the project is to reduce the marine traffic through the Bosphorus and minimize the risks and dangers associated particularly with tankers.<ref name="d1"/><ref name="cnn1">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnnturk.com/2011/turkiye/04/27/istanbula.ikinci.bogaz.kanal.istanbul/614661.0/index.html |newspaper=[[CNN Türk]] |title=İstanbul'a ikinci boğaz: "Kanal İstanbul" |date=2011-04-29 |language=Turkish |accessdate=2011-05-01 }}</ref> About 56,000 vessels pass yearly through the Istanbul Strait, among them 10,000 tankers carrying 145 million tons of [[Petroleum#Crude oil|crude oil]]. International pressure is growing to increase the marine traffic tonnage through the Turkish straits that brings risks for the security of marine navigation during the passage.<ref name="cnn2"/> The canal will further help prevent the pollution caused by cargo vessels passing through or mooring in the Sea of Marmara Sea before the southern entrance of the Bosphorus.<ref name="cnn1"/>

The waterway will have a length of {{convert|45|-|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} with a depth of {{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="d1"/> Its width will be {{convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on}} on the surface and {{convert|120|m|ft|abbr=on}} at the canal bed. These dimensions will allow the largest vessels to pass.<ref name="cnn1"/>

Studies relating to the project will be accomplished within two years. The canal will be in service latest in 2023, the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic. The project will be financed completely by domestic sources.<ref name="cnn1"/>

==Cost==
The Turkish Prime Minister [[Recep Tayyip Erdogan]] and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality officials have stated that Istanbul Canal will cost $10 billion to build and that the financing for the development has already been allocated by the Turkish Treasury.<ref>http://www.dpcmagazine.com/login.aspx?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/secure/display.aspx&path_info=/secure/display.aspx&articlename=dn0020110505000009</ref><ref>http://www.sandandgravel.com/news/article.asp?v1=14551</ref><ref>http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/turkish-prime-minister-crazy-project-istanbul.php</ref> They further added that they would be relying entirely on national resources. It is envisaged that [[Turkish Armed Forces]] personnel would play a key role in the Canal's development.

==Criticism==
Some critics have stated that Turkey aims to by-pass the [[Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Turkish Straits]] and attain greater autonomy with respect to the passage of military ships from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-223806-istanbul-canal-project-to-open-debate-on-montreux-convention.html |newspaper=[[Today's Zaman]] |title=İstanbul Canal project to open debate on Montreux Convention |date=2010-10-08 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-debates-whether-international-treaty-is-obstacle-to-plan-to-bypass-the-bosporus/2011/04/29/AFcaFrCF_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Turkey debates whether international treaty is obstacle to plan to bypass the Bosporus |date=2011-04-29 }}</ref>

==References==
<references />

{{coord missing|Turkey}}

[[Category:Canals in Turkey]]
[[Category:Proposed canals]]
[[Category:Macro-engineering]]
[[Category:Cuts (earthmoving)]]
[[Category:Istanbul Province]]

[[fr:Canal Istanbul]]
[[nl:Istanboelkanaal]]
[[tr:Kanal İstanbul]]