From our friends in The Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive:





Call to protest the Ilisu Dam on the ground!

F or Hasankeyf and the Tigris River!

We call everybody to join our protest action at the Ilisu Dam site on the 28th March! The call invites people particularly from the affected five provinces (Amed, Batman, Siirt, Mardin and Sirnak), but is open to every person who wants to stand with us against the Ilisu Dam which would have grave social, cultural and ecological impacts for a much larger region. The Turkish state builds this destructive dam – the biggest dam project in Turkey - without asking people in our region. Although it was halted several times due to failing to meet international standards, existing law or financial reasons, the Turkish state ignored social opposition to continue with the construction.

If the Ilisu Dam is not halted, it will be finished within 2015 and would flood the 10.000 years old city of Hasankeyf and other important cultural heritage sites; would put up to 80.000 people into poverty and destroy the Tigris and its tributaries –in total 400 km rich river ecosystem. This dam is in the interest of only the central government and some companies and would create no benefit for our people in the affected region.

If we do not stand up now, tomorrow will be too late! Its time for resistance!

We will meet you at 12 o'clock at the bridge over the Tigris River in Ilisu!

Note: The same day in at least for other locations along threatened rivers in Turkish-Kurdistan similar actions will be done.



Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive + Mesopotamian Ecology Movement

website: www.hasankeyfgirisimi.net

e-mail: hasankeyfgirismi@gmail.com