The foreign trade aspect of Turkey's infrastructure policy for purposes of the Istanbul canal project

Abstract

Subject. The article discusses the infrastructure policy of Turkey in terms of economic and national security. Objectives. The article represents my own research into the foreign trade aspect of Turkey’s infrastructure policy for purposes of the Istanbul Canal project now. I evaluate the future, risks and threats to the alternative project instead of the Bosphorus, its role in the economic and national security of Turkey. Methods. I applied methods of logic, situational and economic analysis. Results. The Strategy 2023, the Turkish development program, includes 30 major infrastructure projects. The Istanbul Canal is on the list of significant achievements for a 100 years span of the Turkish Republic. Therefore, the country will do its best to implement it. Conclusions and Relevance. The Turkish authorities are about to launch a hallmark construction project in its history. Environmentalists claim that the canal will shatter the balance of the seas. However, there are some other challenges and threats, which, inter alia, influence strategic interests of Russia. Turkey intends to settle in the international market. The Istanbul Canal project is of strategic importance due to its high profitability and strategic pursuits, economic and national security of Turkey.