Economics

Erdogan Vows to Begin Construction on Canal Istanbul in June

  • Istanbul mayor says $15 billion cost estimate isn’t realistic
  • Critics say it’s an Erdogan pet project, will hurt environment
Photographer: Kerem Uzel/Bloomberg
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the construction of a multi-billion dollar canal, an alternative to Istanbul’s Bosporus strait, will begin at the end of June as the pandemic continues to take its toll on the country’s ailing economy.