Green MEP demands end to Ilisu Dam development
13 March 2008
On 14 March, International Day of Action for Rivers, Jean Lambert will callon the Turkish Government to halt the development of the controversial Ilisudam project. Ahead of the Kurdish Newroz celebrations, the London Green MEPhas joined other politicians and organisations demanding an end to theinvolvement of European governments, companies and banks in the dam projectwhich will devastate the local environment and communities 1.
Situated 65 km from the border to neighbouring countries Iraq and Syria, itsdevelopment will create a gigantic reservoir in the Kurdish regions ofSoutheast Turkey. Around 400 sq km of the as yet largely free-flowing Tigrisriver and its confluents will be gravely damaged or destroyed.
Jean Lambert stated:
"If the Ilisu dam is built on the river Tigris in Southeast Anatolia it willdisplace up to 78,000 people creating social upheaval and submerging thehistoric town of Hasankey forever. It will also cause serious environmentalpollution, health problems and curtail the downstream flow of water to Iraqand Syria.
"The dam is intended to produce hydro-electric power to cover theelectricity shortages in Turkey, but there are other ways to meet this need,without destroying people's lives and the environment."
"This project has many fundamental flaws and faces strong opposition in theregion. There has been a lack of public participation, a shortage ofresettlement land and a total failure to protect cultural heritage. If theplan goes ahead it will also cause vast and unacceptable environmentaldestruction.
"There are 150 conditions attached to the export credit guarantee contractsthat are enabling this development, yet none of these have been fulfilledsince the contracts were awarded in March 2007. Reports also show that basicinformation on cultural goods, flora and fauna are still missing. This aloneis a severe breach of international standards.
"This project would never have been allowed to go ahead in any Europeancountry and European governments should never have supported it. Now it istime for them to accept its failure and stop supporting this development."
ENDS
For more information please contact:Georgina Bloomfield, Media OfficerTel: 020 7407 6280 Email: media@jeanlambertmep.org.uk www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
Note to Editors
Jean Lambert: In October 2005 Jean was named MEP 2005 for Justice and HumanRights. Jean was first elected Green Party Member of the EuropeanParliament for London in the 1999 European elections and was re-elected in2004. She is one of nine MEPs representing London and one of two UK Greenrepresentatives in the European Parliament.
1 Jean Lambert MEP has signed an appeal in the European Parliament callingfor:
* The Government of Turkey to cancel its plans to build the Ilisu damand develop a truly participatory sustainable development plan for theregion instead
* The Governments of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the chiefexecutives of Société Générale, Bank Austria Creditanstalt / Unicredit andDekaBank and the chief executives of Andritz, Zueblin, Alstom, Colenco,Stucky and Maggia to acknowledge that the project does not meet crucialinternational standards despite of the 150 conditions attached to the exportcredit guarantees, and to withdraw from the project, as conditions havegrossly been violated until now by the Turkish officials.
