Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive
PRESS STATEMENT!
07.07.2009
The today’s decision of drawing back from the Ilisu Project by the governments of Germany, Austria and Switzerland is a great victory of our justified struggle.
Today the governments of Germany, Austria and Switzerland have stepped out of the Ilisu Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant Project which they decided to guarantee to give the credit in March 2007. Naturally it should be accepted that this step, which is unique in the history of western countries, is the result of justified struggle against Ilisu project.
As it is known, in December 2008, the governments of Germany, Austria and Switzerland have suspended the credit guarantee because Turkey has not fulfilled the additional contract, consisting of 153 conditions, for 180 days. The real reasons of the suspension were basically because the project itself was so problematic that it could not be brought to an acceptable even with the said 153 conditions, because Turkey did not fulfill the conditions in the signed agreement and also because the protests in the affected region, whole Turkey and Europe created a pressure by the public opinion. Another important factor for the suspension was that: The international committee of experts (which had the obligation to monitor the project) visited the region some weeks ago and confirmed that DSI and the government of Turkey have still not fulfilled the conditions. Actually the conditions, that could limitedly improve the resettlement process, has not been fulfilled, because turkey has not have the capacity as well as wish.
We appreciate Germany, Austria and Switzerland for their decision. At the last minute they stepped out of a project of being involved directly to the concerned social, cultural and ecologic disasters.
Despite the announcements of Minister for Environment and Forest, Veysel Eroğlu, who declared Turkey has the financial capacity to build the dam, we claim that neither Turkey has the financial capacity nor the companies in Turkey have the technical capacity to build such a large dam. Thus with this decision the Ilısu project at least has to be postponing for few years and this time will be an advantage for the impacted people, NGOs and to persuade the government and public opinion. We should remember that in the last few years the campaigns have been improved and raised. The signature campaign, that wants Hasankeyf to be added to UNESCO world cultural and natural heritage list, is supported by the most important artists and writers of our country. With this campaign we also explain what kind of development the region wants. The dam critical activists in the whole Turkey are coming together and they support each other. We know that the Turkish government will not get this topic from its agenda easily and we are assure that the difficult part of the struggle has just started bet we are ready for it.
With the drawing back of these three European countries Turkey lost the legitimacy of building this dam and the reasons that is showed to the public have been demolished. The best announcement that can be declared by the government would be, urgently stopping the project, which also clashes with the law. We invite the AKP government to give up this project and start a new process with the participation of affected people that will preserve the cultural and natural heritage in Hasankeyf and Tigris Valley.
07.07.2009
Initiative to keep Hasankeyf alive
www.hasankeyfgirisimi.com
hasankeyfgirisimi@gmail.com
Briefly, the impacts of Ilısu Project:
If the project is realized: 12.000 year-old ancient Hasankeyf city and around 300 oficially registered mounds will be demolished, 78.000 people will have to immigrate and fall in poverty, Tigris Valley that has a serious ecosystem containing unique plants and animals will be destroyed and at least the economical development will be blocked.
