▁commission ed ▁by ▁the ▁A K P ▁government ▁was ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁artificial ▁water way , ▁running ▁parallel ▁to ▁the ▁Bos ph orus ▁and ▁linking ▁the ▁Black ▁Sea ▁to ▁the ▁A ege an ▁Sea . ▁The ▁project , ▁named ▁K anal ▁ İ stan bul ▁was ▁described ▁by ▁former ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Re cep ▁T ay y ip ▁Er do ğ an ▁as ▁the ▁party ' s ▁' cra zy ▁project ', ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁goals ▁for ▁the ▁party ' s ▁ 2 0 2 3 ▁vision . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁initially ▁started ▁dis cre et ▁studies ▁into ▁the ▁project ' s ▁vi ability ▁and ▁possible ▁routes , ▁with ▁Y ı ld ı r ı m ▁announ cing ▁plans ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁project ▁was ▁officially ▁inaugur ated ▁by ▁Re cep ▁T ay y ip ▁Er do ğ an ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Y ı ld ı r ı m ▁announced ▁that ▁five ▁possible ▁routes ▁for ▁the ▁project ▁had ▁been ▁identified . ▁However , ▁he ▁denied ▁that ▁the ▁final ▁route ▁had ▁been ▁confirmed ▁and ▁war ned ▁invest ors ▁to ▁not ▁eng age ▁in ▁spec ulative ▁asset ▁purch ases . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁K anal ▁ İ stan bul , ▁Y ı ld ı r ı m ▁also ▁pres ided ▁over ▁various ▁up gr ades ▁to ▁the ▁country ' s ▁existing ▁water ways ▁and ▁fer ry ▁services . ▁ İ z mir ▁obtained ▁new ▁car