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EDICOLA / KIOSK | LADINBolzano/Bozen, Göttingen, Vienna, 9. August 2006
The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV)
appealed urgently on Wednesday to the German government and the
coalition of the two large parties forming it to use their
excellent relationships with Turkey to save the world heritage
Hasankeyf in the South-east of Turkey from destruction. "It is
dreadful to see that the very same German politicians who have
supported and praised the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche in
Dresden are now prepared to allow with the construction of the
Ilisu dam on the Tigris the destruction of an extensive monument,
4000 years old, consisting of caves, streets, shops, madrasas
ands churches", said the President of the GfbV International,
Tilman Zülch, on Wednesday. "To prevent the flooding of the
historic town with its archaeologically important sites we
earnestly beg the German government and the two parties CDU and
SPD not to grant Hermes export credit guarantees to the German
firm, Ed. Züblin AG in Stuttgart, which is involved in the
Ilisu project."
At the same time the GfbV International wrote to the Austrian
Bundeskanzler, Wolfgang Schüssel, with the request that he
exercise pressure on the Austrian firm of VA TECH Hydro Escher
Wyss to withdraw its involvement in the construction of the
hydro-electric station. According to information received by the
GfbV the population of the whole South-east of Turkey is in a
state of alarm following the laying of the foundation-stone for
the dam last weekend in spite of protests lasting many years.
"The Kurds and the assyrian-aramaic Christians regard Hasankeyf
as an integral part of their identity, to which they are attached
and which they care for", reported the Near-east correspondent of
the GfbV Germany, Kamal Sido. He was urgently begged for help in
telephone-calls with spokespersons of the people opposing the
dam.
"German firms should not take part in the project. German banks
should not finance it", said Abdulvahab Kusen, the mayor of
Hasankeyf, begging the German government to intervene. "We are
frustrated. We have spent the whole night in front of the gates
of Hasankeyf protesting against the construction. Btu still they
have begun. The excavators will tear our hearts. Our hopes are
now pinned on public opinion in Europe. Perhaps you can bring
your firms not to participate in this terrible project",
emphasised Huseyin Agca from the municipal government of the
provincial capital Diyarbakir. For the planned damming of the
Tigris about 55,000 people are to give up their property, their
fields and pastures and be forcibly resettled. The GfbV is afraid
that those affected will not receive compensation of any
consequence and will move into the slums of the large towns like
Diyarbakir, Batman and Mardin. In the flooding for the 300 sq km
dam at least 73 villages are to disappear alongside the town of
Hasankeyf.