Save the History "Way to Hasankeyf", but how?

[MURAT DÜZYOL]

 

www.photosofstory.com

 

 

Hasankeyf  is a ancient town and district located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province in southeastern Turkey. It was declared a natural conservation area by Turkey in 1981. Packed with archaeology and a mixed population of Kurds and Arabs the towns human roots extend back 10.000 years uninterrupted. The Ilisu Dam and Hydroelectric Project is a key part of a large scale regional development project, the South-eastern Anatolia Project (GAP). As one of 19 dams Ilisu Dam’s intended location is on the Tigris River. In 1997 the Turkish government started the first attempt to implement this project.

However in 2002, after a campaign by affected people and many civil organizations in Europe, the foreign companies and financers dropped out of the project due to its potentially disastrous consequences on population, ecology, culture and international relations, and so the project stopped. www.photosofstory.com

 

In any case in 2004 the Turkish government established the new Ilisu consortium of Turkish, Austrian, German and Swiss companies.

Inspite of the wide protests in Turkey and Europe, the Turkish government and the companies continued to go on with the project and in March 2007 German, Austrian, and Swiss government approved the crucial export credit guarantees for the Ilisu project despite the infamous project’s virtually unchanged situation.

 

The Tigris valley is very important for the flora and fauna of the whole region with its canyons and forests. The dam reservoir would threaten many plants and animals.  The first impact will be lost of almost all fish and other aquatic species.  Additionally a change of local climate is expected due to the higher humidity. This will threaten further terrestrial species in the valley and support the deforestation.

By traveling to these areas, I wish  to take pictures of this area. People should come to this area. There is still a living history. www.photosofstory.com