The Bosphorus might be tricky to navigate but as one of the world’s busiest waterways it sees heavy traffic. One of the proposed aims of the Istanbul canal project is to reduce pressure on the strait while adding to Turkey’s economy. Here’s how.
The Bosphorus is one of the busiest maritime passages in the world. With nearly 43,000 vessels passing through in 2017, the Bosphorus sees nearly three times the traffic of the Suez Canal.

The natural waterway cuts through Turkey’s Istanbul and divides the country between two continents – Europe and Asia. It is a corridor for commuters, travellers, merchant vessels, and residents who are looking to escape the hustle and bustle of an overflowing city.

“[The Bosphorus] is one of the most strategic waterways of the world,” Selman Orun, the captain of a passenger ferry in Istanbul told TRT World.

“Since ancient times, it has many important roles. It is the only passage from the Black Sea into the Sea of Marmara. And also, it is the only passage to the Mediterranean from the Black Sea along with the Dardanelles Strait. This strategic location has hectic traffic,” he explained the congestion along the vital route.

But if things go according to plan, it won’t remain the only waterway passage through the city.

Parallel to the strait, the Turkish government is planning to build ‘Canal Istanbul’ in the northern part of the city. Canal Istanbul will link the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, north and south of Istanbul. The is the largest construction project undertaken by the governing Justice and Development Party.

“The formation of a new strait in Istanbul will be advantageous by removing the risk to Istanbul’s culture and historic buildings, which we endanger every day by letting cargo ships and tankers through [the Bosphorus],” explained Dr Mustafa Ilicali, a professor of industrial engineering at Istanbul Commerce University and former AK Party parliament member representing Erzurum.

“We can never get these back if we lose them. In the past 10 years, six out of 10 of the world’s largest projects were undertaken in Turkey. With this project, we will have undertaken the largest project in the world in the last decade.”

Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister at the time, first proposed the canal in 2011, calling it a “crazy project.”  

Underscoring the project as a “world brand” in many of his speeches, Erdogan also reiterated the plan for the Istanbul Canal after a cargo ship rammed into the shore of the Bosphorus. The April 7 crash caused extensive damage to one of historic Istanbul mansions dotting the iconic shoreline.