Turkey’s canal that would form an island between Asia and Europe (Image: Getty)
A project that was first dreamt up over 500 years ago looks to change not only but the entire world too.
Known as the Canal it would bisect the current European side of Istanbul and form an island between and .
This megaproject will also include a number of ports, logistic centres and artificial islands which will be integrated with the canal.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s new vision is to build a new canal from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and restore Turkey to its former glory which he dubbed the canal of the century.
Not only that, this new canal would help to relieve the congestion and pollution in the Bosphorus.
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The megaproject looks to form a massive canal from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara (Image: Getty)
This megaproject will also include a number of ports, logistic centres and artificial islands which will be integrated with the canal.
Erdogan said at a ceremony for the project last year: “We see Canal Istanbul as a project to save the future of Istanbul… to ensure the safety of life and property of Istanbul’s Bosphorus and the citizens around it.”
According to the AP news agency, the new road bridge over the proposed route of the canal will connect to the North Marmara highway which links other recent infrastructure projects including a new airport and a third Bosphorus crossing.
The whole project is set to cost a staggering £52.8 billion ($65 billion) and will also include a number of bridges.
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The Istanbul Canal is the brainchild of President Erdogan who hopes it will put Turkey on the map (Image: Getty)
According to the channel, , the whole canal will be 28 miles long but will be a lot wider.
The channel said: “To make life easier they want to use some existing waterways then they’ll build a short canal and once they’ve run out of reservoir, they’ll build a 17 mile canal to the black sea.”
The canal is set to be completed by 2027 with many not convinced it can be done in such tight deadlines.
Issues facing this colossal canal include financial, environmental and different sea levels, to name a few.
Construction of this canal will also mean a loss of agricultural land with thousands of protected flora and fauna habitats will die out.
Despite these major concerns, President Ergogan remains hopeful, reiterating how the canal is needed for Turkey to clean up the straits and gain control over their waterways again.
Another thorn amongst many sides is the international agreement known as the Montreux Convention which was signed in 1936 and regulates ships passing through the Turkish Straits.
Ergogan states this new canal will bypass the Montreux Convention but many others have raised concerns.