FightING ILISU DAM - SAVE HASANKEYF AND TIGRIS VALLEY

Welcome to the Homepage of the „Initative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive“

Invitation to Press conference where the Call for a New Water Policy will be presented (07.01.2020)

Participating campaigns/movements:

Initiative to Conserve and Keep Alive Yusufeli +++ Association to Conserve and Keep Alive Aksu +++ Munzur Conservation Council +++ Association to Conserve Munzur Valley and Wildlife +++ Cizre Culture Conservation Initiatve +++ Allianoi Initiative Group +++ Kayy-Der – Peri Basin +++ Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive +++ Downstream River Region - Ardanuç-Artvin +++ Yuvarlakçayı Conservation Platform +++ Black Sea in Rebellion Platform +++ Senoz Valley Conservation Platform

 

 

On the 12th January 2010 in Istanbul 13 dam critical movements have come together in order to criticize the water and dam policy of Turkish government and to present a call for a New Water Policy. In the press conference shortly this was said by the movements:

 

The continously implemented dam and hydroelectric power plants (HEPP) in Turkey, which affect in a disastrous way the local people and confront them with huge losses, is still a problem of local people and is not recognized by the major society as a big threat for the whole country.

Till today more than 1000 implemented projects have displaced hundred thousands of people and lead them into impoverishment, destroyed many river rich ecosystems, rivers and wetlands and flooded hundreds of archaeological sites of many thousands of years. Instead to start a dialog with campaigns of affected people, whose number increase monthly, the governments plans to build 2000 more dams and HEPPs. The projects are nothing else than destruction projects which become a big threat for the life in our country.

That is why we as the campaigns of dam and HEPP affected people start a new process. After a discussion process we have brought together the following requests directed to the Turkish government. We want to discuss these requests and further proposals and develop a framework which can be a solution for the whole country. In that sense for instance we request the transfer of the authority on the use of water resources to the locality.

 

Summary of the Call for a New Water Policy

 

1) The government of Turkey has to cancel urgently ist „wrong water policy“ and has to stop all dam and hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) projects under construction or in planning.

2) Together with the society – including dam and HEPP affected people, local authorities, environmental and human rights organizations, experts, profession organizations etc. – a new discussion has to be started with the aim to develop a new water policy.

3) Our intention to start a discussion process is to ensure a social and ecological use of the water resources for the people, based on the social equity and egalitarian participation principle. As the conclusion we request the transfer of the authority on the use of water resources in the framework of a „democratic water basin management“ to the local authorities and local civil society organizations.

4) There must be established comptenet institutions and organizations with adequate finance in order they can do gather data and do researches on the different aspects of the water related ecosystems like: conserving the functions of the eco-systems, biodiversity, settlement, irrigation, eco-tourism, health tourism.

5) In the light of the above requests we propose the establishment of a „water commission“ in order to develop the discussion process for a new water policy. Every sector and organization in the society must have the opportunity to participate in this commission. In long-term this water commission has to exist and monitor the implementation of the request new water policy.