The proposed dam would reach a height of 135 meters and would create a gigantic 313 square kilometers lake. A major portion of the city of Hasankeyf and the region’s documented 10,000-year-old culture would be drowned from the flood. Two other 5,000 year-old Euphrates River cities have already suffered this fate, due to the construction of numerous dams.
The Tigris River snakes through fertile valleys at the base of breathtaking rock formations. As late as the 1990s,Tigers still roamed here, though the Caspian tiger was assumed to have become extinct. Two thousand years ago, when the area was still dense woodland, elephants lived along the river. Lions became extinct around 1879, but hyenas and leopards exist to this day, "but we don't know their whereabouts," commented Ulrich Eichelmann of Austria’s Export Credit Agency (ECA) in Austria.
He relates two stories—one of a 10,000-year-old culture, and the other 50 years young. But the events of long ago seem to be of little interest to many in the modern day, southern Turkish city Hasankeyf.
Obvious Resistance
Yet local and international opposition to the project is growing, which could mean that Hasankeyf could possibly escape the planned watery fate. Numerous artists are organizing, among them the well-known pop icon Tarkan, who will give a concert in Berlin this October. In his repertoire is a song about Hasankeyf
Mr. Eichelmann made the analogy about the dam, that "Everyone in Turkey knows about Hasankeyf, and for us Europeans it amounts to someone telling us that the authorities would flood the City of Heidelberg … even those who are pro-water power say, 'but not in Hasankeyf.'" He is coordinator of the "Stop Ilisu Project." In the 1990s, the Austrian ECA supported the project. "At that time, Austria was planning to be involved in construction projects there, in conjunction with British, Italian and Swedish companies, but these three pulled out of the project in 2000."
Quest for Water
Who would profit from the dam? Presumably the industrial centers, because Ilisu as planned would become a hydroelectric project, selling its power at a premium. But the quest for water also seems to play a role. The many dams and lakes along the Euphrates River make it already feasible to regulate the quantities of water, diverting it in increments to Syria, Iraq and Iran, with Iran receiving more. Iraq is still actively protesting the planned construction of the Ilisu Dam, saying its nation should have been included in the planning of the project, as set forth by in international law, which did not happen.
As a cost-cutting measure, water purification plants slated for the cities of Diyarbakir, Batman and Siit will be omitted in the third construction phase, thus jeopardizing water quality. Rivers have their own inherent purification systems, while in the case of lakes created by dams, the standing water significantly minimizes oxygen content. Plans to forego the purification process for the Ilusu Dam is an ecological catastrophe in the making.
The result would be that the upper part of the water would heat up. Experts from the Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule von Zuerich (ETH) [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zuerich, located in Zuerich, Switzerland] and the USA have determined that the water below the concrete dam wall would be 10 degrees colder and extremely oxygen deficient. This would prove ecologically devastating to flora, fauna and the fish populations. There are no existing fish species that could acclimate to the daily floods and the sludge.
Despite the obvious enormous ecological consequences, no environmental impact study was ever carried out. Such a study is a standard procedure and requirement for any size dam built in Europe.
Financial Considerations
This watchdog group is especially important, since the experts assigned to dam projects are proponents of dam construction, and generally submit expert opinions for each dam. As of February 2008, Turkey had not complied with even one of the mandatory 153 requirements set by the ECA representatives.
The World Bank Would Never Have Financed this Project
A source of consternation for the Turks is Michael Cernea, a World Bank advisor and well-known human rights and relocation expert, who is viewed as incorruptible. Cernea, providing a second expert opinion that was released in the beginning of September, wrote, "The World Bank did not support the project in any way. The threat of poverty, squalor and isolation of the people is all too obvious. The dam would displace from between 55,000 to 65,000 people of mainly Kurdish origins, all who presently live by the Tigris and make a living in the area.”
According to Eichelmann, Turkey neither had the will nor know-how for resettlement of the people. "They did not understand the difference between resettling and displacement,” said Eichelmann. “Also, Turkey believes itself to be at war with the Turks. Why should they treat their antagonists with respect, just because they coordinated resettlement plans? In reality, the people were run out of the area and were given little money for their properties and possessions. Because they make their livelihood from farming, fishing and tourism, it will be difficult for them to find employment or subsist somewhere else. If they would move to the large cities, such as Diyarbakir or Mardin, they would inflate the size of the existing slums.”
Will Ilisu save Hasankeyf?
The website further justified its position: "The fact is, without this special effort as part of the Ilisu project, Hasankeyf was deteriorating anyways. This way, all historical remains would be saved. In addition, they will be safeguarded and will draw tourists to the area."
One Solution: Declare the Area a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Although the excavation equipment is already rolling, all is not lost for Hasankeyf. Those opposed to the dam are working hard on a different Ilisu project, one that has hung over the region like a sword of Damocles for some. No one invests in the region as everyone expects it to disappear. In the meantime, buildings, some of them 900 or a thousand years old, are deteriorating.
"It is their objective to plan a Hasankeyf without a dam, where people can live. This is the biggest part of our campaign," said Eichelmann. Eichelmann is certain that Hasankeyf will survive financially. On one side is the Biblical jewel of Mesopotamia, for which the Europeans have a strong connection, and on the other side is culture and nature. "All of it fits together," said Eichmann, who hopes that Hasankeyf will become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For a long time the area was riddled with strife—the Kurdish conflict and the civil war—and it was difficult to travel to Hasankeyf, a place that Kurds call home. Also, there was no support infrastructure.
There is a good connection available to the area now. One can take the plane from Istanbul or Ankara to Batman. From there, it is a half-hour ride by bus. And it would be a boon for tourism if one could stay overnight at Hasankeyf.
Eichelmann concluded, saying, "At this time this is the view of those opposed to the construction of the dam, while all official momentum supports building the dam."
Original German Article: http://www.epochtimes.de/articles/2008/09/17/340183.html
