"I am
deeply concerned about the devastating impact the controversial Ilisu dam would
have on the lives of tens of thousands of people and about the irreversible loss
of an invaluable cultural heritage in the
Tigris
valley.
"Allowing
the Ilisu dam to go ahead will be a crime against the fundamental human rights
of the people in this region and against our common cultural heritage.
"In
addition this project will fuel potential conflict around water resources
in the
Middle East
.
"I urge
the German chancellor Angela Merkel – current holder of the EU presidency -
not to grant her government’s support to a project that would undermine the
European Union’s commitment to human rights and environmental and social
standards."
The initiative also has the support of 16 German and Austrian Members of the
European Parliament and 25 members of the German Bundestag, reaffirming their
opposition to their governments’ potential financial and material support for
the Ilisu dam project and who have sent a message of support to the affected
people.
If built, the
dam will affect up to 78,000 people, mainly ethnic Kurds, tens of thousands of
whom will be forcefully resettled and severely impact the environment.
Yet, despite
being years in the planning, the project fails to meet international standards
on environmental assessment and resettlement.
The dam would lead to the destruction of the ancient town of
Hasankeyf
, a rich treasure of Assyrian, Christian, Abyssinian-Islamic and Osmanian
history in
Turkey
and one of the world’s most significant cultural heritage.
Fears have
also been expressed that the project could exacerbate tension in the region by
disrupting the downstream flow of the River Tigris to
Syria
and
Iraq
, sparking potential "water wars".
Finance for the dam is being sought from the Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) of
Switzerland
,
Germany
and
Austria
.
The ECAs have
set over 100 conditions on their support - but have refused to disclose the
details of the conditions.
Earlier this
month,
Germany
delayed its decision on the project because key conditions had not yet been met
by
Turkey
.
Bianca Jagger
is a Columnist for MaximsNews.com, An Independent Voice from the United Nations.
For further information, contact: in Hasankeyf: Judith Neyer, FERN, 0032 498
521604 in the
UK
and in
Germany
the WFC. or BiancaJagger@MaximsNews.com
