By Jo Weir | Fundraising Officer
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Over the last quarter, KHRP has continued our work to empower the people most affected by the pending construction of the Ilisu Dam through education and advocacy activities. This work incorporates providing training and advice to human rights defenders and representatives of those affected by the dam, including on how to take cases to the European Court of Human Rights for those who have lost their land and livelihood.
The benefits of empowering people to use legal channels was seen earlier this year when a case pioneered by a sole plaintiff resulted in a court in Diyarbakir ordering an assessment of Hasankeyf's cultural value and the damage the Ilisu Dam might cause. This case was founded on the argument that the construction of the dam violates the Turkish law for the preservation of historical sites and the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (1992).
The international community has responded to the work of advocates such as KHRP by withdrawing their funding from the Ilisu Dam, however, the Turkish Government has been able to secure domestic financing of €1.1bn to continue the project. In response to criticisms of Ilisu, the Turkish Government has announced a ‘comprehensive programme of settlement and compensation’ where people who are not satisfied with their allotted compensation will have the right to refer the matter to the courts. If the construction of the dam goes ahead as planned, the activities of KHRP will be vital in raising local people’s awareness of their rights and capacity to act on those rights through legal channels.
The Tigris Valley runs alongside Hasankeyf and is home to a variety of endangered animal and plant species which the Ilisu Dam threatens. In July 2011, a fisherman in the Tigris Valley caught a Leopard Barbels- a species of fish that was thought to be extinct. Therefore, the construction of the dam will destroy the last known habitat of the Leopard Barbels. Therefore, over the last few months alone, we have seen examples of how the Ilisu Dam will negatively impact on the people, heritage and ecosystem of Hasankeyf and the Tigris Valley.
Do you want to find out more?
Watch these two beautiful short films about the town of Hasankeyf and the impact that the dam will have on its inhabitants:
Life in Limbo by Sakae Ishikawa, 2009 -Excerpt 1.56 mins
Sinking History –Turkey by Mauro Colombo, 26.33 mins
What can you do?
1. If you a customer of one of the banks involved, please write individual letters to the management and ask them to withdraw from the project. You can also consider moving your account.
The following banks provide finance to the Ilisu project:
2. Help to raise awareness by informing your friends, acquaintances and work colleagues about the project.
3. Contact us for more information and write an article or letter for your local or national newspaper.
4. If you are visiting Turkey, go to Hasankeyf and see for yourself the beauty of the region that is at risk. Tourism is a viable option for the region and one that has not been fully explored or invested in by the government.
Links:
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