Istanbul Canal gains traction as projects gear up: What’s new in Türkiye’s largest-ever infrastructure investment?

The Istanbul Canal project, regarded as the most ambitious in Türkiye’s history, remains one of the country’s top infrastructure initiatives, despite years of slowed progress due to the nation’s economic struggles, with new major developments now underway.

As of 2025, infrastructure and construction work related to the Istanbul Canal continues, while new tenders and zoning plans are being issued for sub-projects under the main initiative.

The project most recently came into the spotlight on Feb. 27, when President Erdogan visited the construction site of the Sazlidere Bridge. Accompanied by Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Erdogan received updates on the progress.

The Sazlidere Bridge, with piers reaching up to 90 meters (295 feet), will connect Basaksehir, Kayasehir, and Bahcesehir. When complete, including its approach viaducts, the bridge will span a total of 1,618 meters. Its platform will be 46 meters wide, and its diamond-shaped towers will rise to a height of 196 meters.

In 2024, public land sales in areas through which the Istanbul Canal will pass totaled nearly ₺5 billion. Additionally, state-backed housing developer Emlak Konut held housing and infrastructure tenders worth at least ₺28 billion in the Dursunkoy area.

Public housing authority TOKI initiated tenders for 24,150 residential units, commercial areas, and social facilities in Arnavutkoy. In January 2025, 17 tenders were launched in Sazlibosna for the construction of 12,309 residences and 406 shops.

Much of the housing construction led by Emlak Konut in Dursunkoy, part of the Istanbul Canal zone, has already been completed.

Meanwhile, the legal process is still ongoing, as some of the lawsuits filed by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) against the zoning plans remain active. These lawsuits argue that the designated reserve construction areas include agricultural lands, forests, and water basins, posing serious risks to ecological balance.

While environmental impact assessment procedures are still underway for some of the tendered projects, no definitive completion date has been announced for the Istanbul Canal. The canal’s construction is projected to take approximately 5.5 years, and under normal conditions, the entire project is expected to be completed within seven years.

What is Istanbul Canal project?

The Istanbul Canal, a waterway project planned to extend from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara on the European side of Istanbul, aims to reduce maritime traffic through the Bosphorus, ensure safer navigation, provide logistical advantages, and strengthen Türkiye’s position in global trade.

The name, content, and location of the project were initially kept confidential before being publicly introduced for the first time by then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a conference held in Istanbul on April 27, 2011.

The project officially began on June 26, 2021, with the groundbreaking ceremony for the first of six planned bridges, the Sazlidere Bridge. President Erdogan, who attended the event, stated, “The benefits the Istanbul Canal will bring to Türkiye far outweigh its cost. It will take its place in history as one of the country’s most valuable assets.”

What does the Istanbul Canal aim to achieve?

The main objective of the Istanbul Canal is to enable safe, fast, and economically efficient passage from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, in addition to the Bosphorus. It also considers future changes in vessel traffic and ship specifications, aiming to solve the various issues caused by heavy marine traffic in the Bosphorus.

Rising international pressure to increase traffic through the Turkish Straits poses safety risks, as the Bosphorus carries nearly three times the traffic of the Suez Canal. The Istanbul Canal is expected to ease this burden and reduce pollution, especially near the southern entrance, as Transport Ministry data shows fewer total vessels but more large ships and higher overall tonnage.

The canal is also expected to support the logistics and tourism sectors, integrate with major infrastructure projects such as Istanbul Airport, and reduce risks posed by tankers carrying hazardous materials through the Bosphorus. It will also serve as a man-made waterway under national jurisdiction.

Designed to accommodate large tankers—up to 275 meters in length, with a maximum draft of 17 meters and an average capacity of 145,000 tons—the project selected the most suitable route by comparing potential corridors. The route follows the Kucukcekmece Lake—Sazlidere Dam—eastern Terkos corridor.

The canal will be approximately 45 kilometers long, with a minimum base width of 275 meters and a depth of 20.75 meters. Upon completion, the Bosphorus will be entirely closed to tanker traffic. Two new peninsulas and one new island will be formed within Istanbul.

Of the 453 million square meters (112,000 acres) allocated for the new city, 30 million square meters will be taken up by the Istanbul Canal. The remaining space will be divided as follows: 78 million square meters for the airport, 33 million square meters for Ispartakule and Bahcesehir, 108 million square meters for roads, 167 million square meters for zoned development parcels, and 37 million square meters for green public spaces.

The feasibility studies for the project are expected to last two years. The excavated soil will be used for constructing a large airport and port and for filling quarries and decommissioned mines.

The canal’s construction cost was projected at ₺75 billion (based on the exchange rate at the time of the Environmental Impact Assessment report), with the total cost estimated at $15 billion.

Environmental planning, cultural preservation along the Canal route

According to kanalistanbul.gov.tr, an official government website, studies were conducted throughout all four seasons with 18 experts to examine flora and fauna along the Istanbul Canal route. These studies evaluated critical regions, species, and habitats. Protective measures for endemic and rare species have been included in the project report.

Within the Istanbul Canal project area, 4.67 million square meters of new forest and 86.5 million square meters of regional green and sports areas will be added, totaling 91.24 million square meters of additional green space.

An archaeological report has been prepared to identify the current status of archaeological and cultural heritage assets in the area and to assess the impact of construction activities.

Historically and culturally significant sites will be preserved as archaeological parks in line with the principle of balanced conservation and use.