The importance of the seas and the Bosphorus in the development of Istanbul  is an indisputable fact. Due to the advantages provided by the waterways in the region, this region has been one of the most desirable places to be seized throughout history. With the Montreux Straits Convention signed in 1936, the region gained an international status in terms of maritime transportation. The Bosphorus has a special significance in this important waterway which consists of the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles and the Marmara Sea. The increase in the number of ships passing over the years, changing the content of the cargoes they carry  and the increase in population density in the Bosphorus line has caused the ships passing through the Bosphorus to become a subject of discussion. Tanker accidents at different dates also support these concerns. For security reasons, the Turkish Government plans to construct an artificial channel to the Bosphorus. Both ecological and legal debates are still ongoing in relation to the designated Kanal Istanbul.