World Bulletin / News Desk

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.