ISTANBUL
"Marmaray, the railway tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait, both dignifies Republic of Turkey and also we have proved to have fulfilled such a project with a democratic republic in stability and solidarity", said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Marmaray, linking European and Asian sides of Istanbul, has been opened on Tuesday.
Speaking at the inauguration of Marmaray, Erdogan extended his gratitude to the participants including Somali President Hasan Sheikh Mahmud, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta as well as ministers from 8 different countries.
"The project of the century, Marmaray, has been opened on the 90th anniversary of the foundation of Republic of Turkey," said Erdogan. "It both dignifies Republic of Turkey and also we have proved to have fulfilled such a project with a democratic republic in stability and solidarity."
Marmaray will be free of charge for 15 days, said Erdogan.
13.6-kilometer-long tunnel links Asian and European sides and it is 60 meters below the sea. It will take 4 minutes to cross from the European side to the Asian side.
The idea of the railway tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait was first introduced by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmedjid in 1860.
Erdogan also said Tuesday that the rest of the Marmaray tunnel would be opened by 2015.
Erdogan said the Marmaray is not just Istanbul's project but it is also the project of the humanity. It will be possible to travel from London to Beijing via Istanbul by the Marmaray project, he added.
"It will take 4 minutes to travel from the European side to the Asian side. It will have the capacity to carry 75,000 people per hour in either direction." Erdogan said.
He noted that the government would continue to carry out global projects referring to the third bridge and the third airport of Istanbul to be built.
"When we were working on the project of the century, Marmaray, we were very sensitive to the environment. More than 35,000 historical artifacts were found in archaeological excavations in the Bosphorus Strait," Erdogan said.
The project had been delayed due to archaeological excavations.
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