Undefined
Ulrich Eichelmann says farewell to Hasankeyf, the drowning World Heritage Site. © Riverwatch

From September 10th to 13th I visited Hasankeyf in Turkey and the Tigris for the very last time. I said my goodbyes to residents, the river, the landscape. One of the most significant regions of humanity will be submerged, in the reservoir of the Ilisu dam. Even today, two weeks later, I can barely bring myself to put this into writing. It is literally incomprehensible.

Global Sur and Hasankeyf Action Day in Hasankeyf

In solidarity with the two antique cities Hasankeyf and Sur, which are both destined for destruction by the Turkish government, actions in 30 cities around the world have been organized to draw attention to repressive and exploitative policies. Hasankeyf is to be drowned in the reservoir of the almost finished Ilisu dam project.  Ilisu is opposed by the overwhelming majority of the public. Read this press release...

© Hasankeyf Matters

It is a critical moment for Hasankeyf, with the merchants in something of a standoff with the authorities. In preperation of Hasankeyf's inundation for the Ilisu reservoir, the government has threatened forced eviction as early as within next 7 days. For more details read the text by Hasankeyf Matters

Read the most recent update of the Initaitive to Keep Hasankeyf Alive: Environmental and heritage destruction have accelerated in Turkey’s historic city of Hasankeyf as crews work day and night, seven days a week to collapse vulnerable portions of the cliffs ringing the town and fill in some 200 caves.

Things are getting serious in Hasankeyf. The Ilisu dam is basically completed. Nevertheless, initiatives keep fighting for the preservation of this historic city. Here at the Global Hasankeyf Action Day in 2015 © Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive

The Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive has called for the 2nd Global Hasankeyf Action Day on Sep. 23, 2017. On the day in many countries people will do different actions in order to protest the destructive Ilisu Dam which threatens to flood the 12.000 years old town Hasankeyf and 136 km long the Tigris River in the Kurdistan Region of Turkey.

Dutch company Bresser involved in the highly contested Ilisu project. On June 28 their will be a protest in front of their headquaters! © Hasankeyf Matters

After the historic ‘Zeynel Bey Tomb’ monument in Hasankeyf has been relocated to make way for the Ilisu reservoir, several organisations call upon the Dutch company Bresser to withdraw from the relocation of 9 further monuments. They will hold a protest at the headquarters of Bresser on June 28. in the Netherlands.

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