The Southeastern Anatolian Project (GAP), Turkey's ambitious, 12-phase hydropower initiative, has been in the works since the late 1960s. Its completion will, its planners hope, provide Turkey with necessary energy and water resources. Stressing how political and economic policies are interrelated, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on July 15, 2008 that economic goals were as important as political objectives. According to an official in Iraq's Water Resources Ministry, when Ilisu Dam, a critical component of GAP, is completed, it will reduce the Tigris River waters by 47 per cent a year. Up to 78,000 people, mainly Kurds, but also members of other ethnic origin (Armenian, Arab) and Turks, will be directly affected by the project in Turkey. Thousands more will be affected in the downstream neighbouring countries.
001 Despite the withdrawal of export credit guarantees by the governments of Germany, Austria and Switzerland on grounds of unmet conditions intending to bring the project up to international standards in July 2009, the State party continues construction of the dam.
002 In 2010 Construction work for New Hasankeyf begins without permission in an archaeological site, which in 1978 was declared as First Degree protected area. While the construction works is damaging Hasankeyf and is carried out despite the city protection degree, a number of historical artifacts around were abandoned and might therefore be destroyed.
003 In 2011 the Culture Ministry invests 2 million Turkish Liras to enable ancient sites in Southeast Anatolia to be reopened for tourism – for however long remains before a new dam floods the entire area. Tourism sites in the ancient city of Hasankeyf, located in Batman province, have been closed to visitors since July, when a large rock rolled down from the city’s old castle and killed an elderly man living in a nearby cave. According to Professor Abdüsselam Uluçam, who heads the archaeological excavations in the city, the ministry will provide 2.1 million Turkish Liras for the renovation of the Hasankeyf area, which is set to be flooded as part of the ongoing construction of the Ilısu Dam.
004 It is been discussed of the possibility of salvaging some of the monuments by transferring them to another site. The most favorable considered is the technique in which the monument is cut off from its foundations, mounted to a wheeled trolley and transferred to another site. For the transfer of architectural elements such as minarets and the gates of the citadel, moving by dismantling and reassembling at the new site is been considered. But relocation diminishes aesthetic value and authenticity of the monument. A relocated building has seldom the same relationship to its new site. Currently there are no studies or preparations to provide a similar landscape for the monuments. Even if the projected plan of relocation were to put to action, the “new open air museum of Hasankeyf” would be just a small park with fragments that are exhibited like museum pieces. Even if the structure would be forced for the transferal, 95% of the masonry would have to be renewed after the operation.
005 The life span of Ilisu Dam is foreseen from 30-50 years. It is predicted that in a short period of time it will be filled with rubble and therefore not as useful.
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