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The first section of the omnibus bill has been approved by General Assembly of Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

On Article 16 of the first section of the bill include regulations regarding insurance premium support and writing off the loans of tourism professionals.

In the entire omnibus bill include regulations on reconstruction of Sur district of Diyarbakır, writing off general health insurance premiums till age of 25, employing 15,000 police officers and financing of tourism. These articles have not been approved yet.

The project was subject to the critics of many experts expressing their concerns regarding environmental issues, legal matters as well as Istanbul’s water problem and earthquake risks.

Özsoy: Would seriously destroy the climate balance in the see

Prof Dr. Emin Özsoy had noted that the Bosporus had controlled the water cycle between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and building a channel would be like adding four additional rivers to the Bosporus which would totally destroy the climate balance in these sees.

Saydam: Should immediately forget about it

Prof. Dr. Cemal Saydam from Hacettepe University Environmental Engineering Department had underlined that the project would cause an ecological destruction in the Black Sea, lacked any scientific basis thus had to be forgotten immediately.

Özsemi: İstanbul already has water problems

Greenpeace Mediterranean Region General Director Dr. Uygar Özesmi had underlined that in case the project was realized, all sea creatures, water-basins, fertile agricultural areas and forests would be affected negatively.

Ekinci: Against the law

Former President of Chamber of Architects; (Oktay Ekinci) had noted that such a project could only come to agenda in a country where there is no law and would burden the city of İstanbul with additional construction, cause irregular urbanization and destroy the city’s social, environmental and cultural structure.

Gündoğdu: Earthquake risk

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Gündoğdu had pointed out the earthquake risk and underlined that the channel would escalate the city’s water supply problem due to constructions in the water-basins.

About Kanal İstanbul Project Kanal İstanbul is the project name of the artificial sea-level waterway planned to connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara bisecting the current European side of Istanbul and thus form an island between the continents of Asia and Europe (the island would have a shoreline with the Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, the new canal and the Bosphorus). The new waterway would bypass the current Bosphorus. Source: Wikipedia

(NV/DG)