Erdogan Presents His Vision for the Next Century

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has presented his vision for the next century, according to AP.

Erdogan stated that the government will propose constitutional amendments to protect the rights of women who choose to wear the hijab, as well as to safeguard family values.

His vision for Turkey includes positioning the country among the top 10 nations in the world in terms of "politics, economy, technology, military, and diplomacy," as well as reducing foreign energy dependency. He also promised to move forward with controversial plans to build a canal in Istanbul.

The government claims that the canal will facilitate navigation in the Bosphorus; however, environmental groups are concerned that the project may harm the surrounding ecology.