By Merve Aydogan
ANKARA (AA) – President Recep Tayyip said on Saturday the first initiative of his government after winning elections would be the construction of Canal Istanbul, an artificial sea-level waterway that will connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.
Once completed, it will reduce shipping traffic, particularly oil tanker traffic, passing through the Bosphorus Strait.
Addressing a large crowd at the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's women congress in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “We want our women to be more active, more engaged, and be represented in higher numbers in politics and the Parliament. ”
Speaking about the upcoming snap polls, he said Istanbul with its nearly 9.5 million voters will be a major player.
Last week, Turkey’s parliament passed a bill calling for early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24.
