President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened Istanbul’s new airport with a pledge that it would become the world’s biggest and serve as a symbol of prosperity for a country he hopes will become a global power.
The $11.7 billion airport crowns an infrastructure-building spree that has transformed the Turkish landscape and economy during Erdogan’s 15 years in power. But the megaproject has been tarnished by environmental degradation and labor protests over poor working conditions that led to dozens of deaths.