Report Reveals Minister Albayrak Bought Land Near Canal İstanbul Route

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Minister of Finance and Treasury Berat Albayrak bought land in İstanbul's Arnavutköy district, which is on the route of the planned Canal (Kanal) İstanbul project, according to a report by daily Cumhuriyet.

Albayrak bought the land in 2012, about a year after the canal project was announced by then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The land was zoned for agriculture but after the Ministry of Environment and Urbanism changed the zoning plans for Canal İstanbul, it is zoned for housing.

An official from the ministry told Cumhuriyet that Albayrak's father bought land in the district in 2003 and Albayrak bought the neighboring land after it was put up for sale 2012. He bought the land because they didn't want a "stranger" to buy it and it would be "far-fetched" to say that Albayrak bought the land because of the canal project, according to the official.

Ahmet Özel, an attorney of Albayrak reiterated the ministry official's explanation, saying that he did not want a stranger to buy the land. It was "an ordinary purchase," Özel stated.

Real estate prices on the canal's route have risen since the ministry approved the environmental impact assessment report of the project. The mother of the Emir of Qatar was also revealed to have bought land in the area.

Canal (Kanal) İstanbul project

President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement in 2011, when he was still the Prime Minister. In his speech, he mentioned "a new İstanbul" objective. Presented as a "crazy project", the plan referred to 'Canal İstanbul' for the first time.

What is in the 'crazy project'?

The basic information as to the project was shared with the public at a press conference in Haliç Congress Center in 2011.

The plan foresaw an artificial sea-level waterway that would connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Accordingly, the project was extending from the region known as old stone pits on Black Sea shores in the north to Sarıyer in the east and Karaburun in the west. While the residences in Sarıyer center, Kemerburgaz, Göktürk and Arnavutköy have been excluded from the project, the damaged parts of the forest along the forest boundary have been included in the project. Sarıyer region, which is a historical protected area, marked the eastern border of the project.

The work area was determined as 33 thousand 500 hectares and located at the borders of Arnavutköy, Eyüp and Sarıyer districts. There were 21 villages with a population of 41 thousand 749 people within the designated work area.

The most important aspect of the project was the integration of transportation. The construction of 3rd Bosphorus bridge foreseen by the project has been completed. Minister Arslan stated that they would start the construction work this year.

Region opened to unearned income with bag bill

In May 2016, 32 articles of 20 laws were amended. An additional article added to the Pasture Law has paved the way for the region's zoning for construction.

With another amendment introduced to the law, it has been understood that the access roads to the Canal İstanbul will be toll roads.

Its route was announced in 2018

Ahmet Arslan, the then Minister of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications, announced the route of the project in 2018. He said that the canal would form an artificial waterway from the Black Sea to Marmara Sea, covering 45 kilometers from Küçükçekmece Lake through Küçükçekmece-Sazlıdere-Durusu corridor.

(HA/VK)