Canal Istanbul Project Began to Divide Istanbul. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan poured the first load of cement in the building of what he has called his “crazy project” – a ship canal that runs around Istanbul, bypassing the Bosphorus Strait. The ceremony marked the start of a scheme that has been 10 years in the making and caused more controversy than any other undertaken during Erdogan’s 18-year rule. Still, there are questions about the project.