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SVN Solovelanet Global
I
n this article, Luciano Piazza tells us how
he reached the Black Sea through the Bo-
sphorus. However, if he were to repeat this
voyage in a few years, he would very likely
use the Istanbul Canal instead. This project
was announced by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan in 2008. It will be 45 km long,
150 metres wide and 25 metres deep. The
government claim that the canal is needed
to reduce traffic through the Bosphorus as
many ships have to wait for a long time befo-
re entering this very busy straight.
On the other hand, opponents of the project
point out that the canal would run over three
seismic faults, and if an earthquake were to
damage the canal, a disaster of enormous
proportions would occur. Also, building the
canal would cause enormous damage to hi-
therto protected marshy and woody areas of
natural beauty. Finally, many opposition po-
liticians think that the canal would represent
an attempt to bypass the Bosphorus Strait
in order to sidestep the 1936 Montreux con-
vention. This treaty regulates the amount and
type of maritime traffic in the straight and
by using the canal the Turkish government
would be able to move military ships betwe-
en the Sea of Marmora and the Black sea
with ease.
The canal is due to be ready by 2023 and its
cost is not known. We only know that it is a
much bigger project than the third Istanbul
airport, which is still under construction and
has so far cost 25 billion.
The Istanbul Canal
Luciano Piazza is a writer and a
seaman.He sails solo or in groups
with his Bavaria 350 named Piazza
Grande.He has been collabora-
ting with Solovelanet since 2017
The author
Tsarevo is the first
stop in the Black
Sea, and it is where
this article ends
Here above, the small
Turkish town of Amasra
on the Black Sea. Here
above, one of the many
Russian warships that
can be seen while sailing
in the Black Sea. Aside,
the Turkish flag
Istanbul
canal
Bosphorus
Sea of Marmara
Black Sea
The Istan-
bul Canal that
connects the
Marmara Sea with
the Black Sea and
Europe with Asia
