Judiciary canceled it, curriculum approved it: Kanal İstanbul enters textbooks

The Kanal İstanbul Project, which was announced to the public by President Erdoğan in 2011 as his "dream," has now entered the high school curriculum. The project, which has not yet been completed and remains controversial in many respects, has been presented to students in a 10th-grade Geography textbook approved by the Ministry of National Education as a "project about to be realized."

CHP İstanbul MP Mahmut Tanal brought the Kanal İstanbul sections in the textbook to the agenda with a post on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Sharing the relevant pages of the book, Tanal stated, "In the 10th-grade geography textbook, Kanal İstanbul, for which not even a foundation has been laid, is described as a project about to be realized! This is not a textbook, it is a piece of propaganda!"

While the Kanal İstanbul Project is promoted in the book as an example of environmentally friendly and advanced urban planning, it was observed that the project's risks or scientific criticisms were not mentioned at all. Yet, the project has been defined by the opposition and many experts with terms such as "crazy project," "betrayal," and "murder," and numerous scientific reports have been published regarding its environmental impacts.

JUDICIARY CANCELED IT, CURRICULUM APPROVED IT

In December 2024, the declaration of the reserve area and environmental plans regarding the Kanal İstanbul Project were canceled by a court decision. However, despite this, the project was included in the educational curriculum. This situation led to comments from the opposition front that "a project that has been legally halted is being attempted to be pedagogically legitimized."

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu also recently stated in a statement made from Silivri Prison that Kanal İstanbul was being put back into operation. Announcing that construction of 24 thousand housing units had begun in the Sazlıdere region, İmamoğlu said, "Under the name of Kanal İstanbul, the natural structure of Istanbul is being concreted over."

'Kanal İstanbul' DETAIL IN GEOGRAPHY TEXTBOOK

While these claims were being discussed, CHP MP Mahmut Tanal revealed a new fact on his X account today. Tanal shared the 'Kanal İstanbul' detail in the 10th-grade Geography textbook. Tanal stated, "In the 10th-grade geography textbook, Kanal İstanbul, for which not even a foundation has been laid, is described as a project 'about to be realized'!"

The entirety of Tanal's post is as follows;

"THIS IS NOT A TEXTBOOK, IT IS A PIECE OF PROPAGANDA!

In the 10th-grade geography textbook, Kanal İstanbul, for which not even a foundation has been laid, is described as a project 'about to be realized'! What does it say in the book?

•It begins with the phrase "The Kanal İstanbul project has been prepared," and then says, "it is planned for the canal to be opened to be 50 km long, 120 m wide, and 50 m deep."

•The route of the project is provided with a map, showing it as a state investment currently being implemented.

•A perception is created that "The Bosphorus is dangerous, Kanal İstanbul is safe."

•The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits is mentioned only in the context of the right of passage; geopolitical risks and legal debates are ignored.

•Scientific objections, public opposition, environmental destruction, and earthquake risk are not included at all. The book does not say "it is finished," but with the narrative language used and the map-supported visuals, Kanal İstanbul is presented as if it has already happened or is about to be realized.

This is clearly: •A collapse of scientific neutrality. •A violation of Article 42 of the Constitution. •Political propaganda through the education system! Kanal İstanbul does not exist, but its perception exists in the books! The state's education system has been turned into a promotional brochure for crony projects! They want to make our children memorize the government's dreams, not the facts! Approach the children of this country with science, not lies!"