Ilisu: Austrian, German and Swiss governments gave „Green light“

Sissy Danninger

Just a few days before the end of March 2007 the Austrian, the German and the Swiss governments finally gave the “Go-ahead” for their respective companies to embark on the construction of the Ilisu dam in Northern Kurdistan/South-eastern Turkey. This was shortly before the expiry of an ultimatum allegedly set by the Turkish government.

Turkey announced to start construction of the giant 1.200 MW hydroelectric power plant in the Tigris River about 60 km from the Iraqi and the Syrian borders without delay now. Work was presumed to begin in the second half of April according to Turkish sources, whereas the Austrian company involved talked about starting this summer.

The Ilisu-dam-project presently is the largest of a total of 19 waterpower stations already under construction or planned in South-eastern Turkey.

As things are construction work will begin about a year after the groundbreaking ceremony, which had already been performed on August 5^th, 2006 by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. All international protests and warnings by nongovernmental environmental and cultural organizations as well as by locals themselves evidently could not stop the project.

On March 23^rd the last demonstration for the time being, headed by human rights activist Bianca Jagger, had been organized in Hasankeyf itself. Just one day later, on Saturday, the 24^th, the green light for Ilisu was given in Austria and in Germany. Switzerland made the final decision the following week.

Private banks did not take the risk

As private banks in the three European countries involved would not give credits for the potential export-risks of the companies the national export credit agencies and the governments stepped in. Thus Austrian taxpayers will now take over guarantees for 285 million Euros, those in Germany for 200 million Euros and those in Switzerland for about 140 million Euros.

According to the German ministry of economy and technology the costs for the realization of the whole project are estimated at around 2 billion Euros until about 2013. This sum includes the resettlement of tens of thousands inhabitants mainly belonging to the (discriminated and prosecuted) Kurdish minority, the relocation of parts of the cultural heritage of the 10.000-year-old town of Hasankeyf and measures to mitigate the environmental damage.

“International standards will be observed”

The Austrian-led consortium (VA Tech Hydro Andritz in Austria, Züblin in Germany, Alstom, Stucki, Colenco, Maggia in Switzerland) basically countered protests arguing that if they did not realize the “development-project” someone else would do it with less consideration. Other arguments defending their stance included the creation of jobs in Turkey and in the European countries involved. International standards would be observed and transparency of the procedures warranted, they affirmed.

A list of 150 special requirements for measures accompanying the construction works and the final flooding of an area of more than 300 square kilometres would be conscientiously followed, they underlined. Special experts were appointed in order to supervise the implication of those measures.

The German ministry of economy gave some names of this committee’s leading figures: Prof. Robert Zwahlen (questions of ecology), Prof. Klaus Nohlen (cultural heritage) Prof. Michael M. Cernea und Prof. Guoqing Shi (resettlement).

Comparable project unimaginable in Europe

International NGOs as well as 72 organisations in the region itself called the decision in favour of the project a “shame”. WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and Eca-Watch (Export credit agencies-Watch) in Austria were “shocked” but insisted they would not give up. “The dam has not been built yet”, they said, adding that a comparable endeavour would be totally unacceptable and unimaginable anywhere in Europe.

By and by resistance re-gained momentum after the decision to start constructing the giant dam. According to a report by Turkish Daily News (TDN) on May 5^th, 2007 preparations were under way for a massive protest rally on May 16^th in Ankara.

According to Gila Benmayor’s TDN-article “masses” were planned to gather in front of the embassies of the European countries involved under the leadership of “Hasankeyfi Yaşatma Girişimi” (initiative “Keep Hasankeyf Alive”), which consists of 80 NGOs. The protesters intended to make a “demand for asylum” in Austria, Germany and Switzerland for 55.000 to 60.000 people, whose existence will be destroyed by the project.

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