| THE ILISU DAM PROJECT IN SOUTH EAST
TURKEY
M. Ronayne (Junior Representative for Northern
Europe – National University of Ireland,
Galway) maggie.ronayne@nuigalway.ie
In WAB 12, we published a brief outline
of the issues involved in the proposed Ilisu
dam project in South East Turkey. That was
originally written in 1999 and there have
been developments since then. The following
letter was sent by WAC President, Martin
Hall, to the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair,
on 16th January. The letter is also on the
WAC web site. In a reply, the UK government
indicated that they wished to circulate
the WAC letter on Ilisu to the other governments
currently considering whether to grant export
credit for the project. The reply
also seemed to indicate some recognition
of the large-scale cultural heritage impacts
of this project despite the inadequate condition
set out by the export credit agencies of
the governments involved. In a more
recent letter, WAC has said that ‘no amount
of money and time spent on this project
could deal with cultural rights, as an aspect
of the human rights of the local population,
in the circumstances of emergency rule prevailing
in the region at present.’ At the
time of writing, the governments involved
have not yet made a final decision and a
revised Environmental Impact Assessment
and Resettlement Action Plan are awaited.
At present, there is a small number of
WAC members working with Maggie on this
campaign. We are always in need of help
with research, translation to and from Kurdish
and Turkish and advice with regard to the
archaeological remains in the Ilisu area
from different periods and so on. If you
have any comments or queries on the campaign
and for further information on how you can
help, please contact Maggie Ronayne at maggie.ronayne@nuigalway.ie
or +353 91 524411 ext. 3701 Fax: +353 91
525700
WORLD ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONGRESS
PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
President: Professor Martin Hall
Centre for Higher Education Development
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch 7700
South Africa
Telephone: +27 -21-6502645
Fax: +27 -21-6505055
deanhed@humanities.uct.ac.za
The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, M.P.
10 Downing St.,
London, SW1A 2AA
UK
Fax: 0207 925 0918 / 0207 930 9572
BY FAX and POST
16 January 2001
Dear Prime Minister,
Re: Proposed construction of the Ilisu
dam in South
East Turkey
I am writing to you in my capacity as President
of the World Archaeological Congress in
order to express grave concern with respect
to your Government's proposed support for
the construction of the Ilisu dam in South
East Turkey.
As you will be aware, this particular project
has been the subject of widespread criticism
from many quarters. I am writing today with
reference to fundamental issues concerning
the human rights of the large and overwhelmingly
Kurdish populations scheduled to be moved
from their homes and resettled in advance
of the flooding of towns and villages -
specifically their rights with regard to
the potential cultural heritage impact of
the proposed dam.
The World Archaeological Congress (WAC)
is an international forum for the discussion
of all aspects of the past that holds large
international conferences every four years
attended by hundreds of archaeologists and
other interested parties. Its continuing
membership comprises concerned individuals
from all five continents, represented between
the four-yearly meetings by regional representatives
drawn from twenty-eight countries around
the world. WAC has a particular interest
in the areas of the protection, conservation
and exploitation of the archaeological heritage,
with a specific emphasis being placed upon
the effect of archaeological and heritage
work on the wider community and the responsibilities
of archaeologists with regard to the cultural
rights of indigenous peoples and ethnic
minorities. To that end, an indigenous constituency
is represented on the WAC Executive.
WAC is aware that the Secretary of State
for Trade and Industry, Stephen Byers M.P.,
has made it a condition for the granting
of an export credit guarantee to the British
construction firm Balfour Beatty that the
Turkish authorities concerned, 'produce
a detailed plan to preserve as much of the
archaeological heritage of Hasankeyf as
possible'. At present, a few archaeologists
are struggling to document just a fraction
of the archaeological material now under
threat in that town. WAC also notes with
particular alarm press reports of last minute
'salvage archaeology' recently carried out
at sites such as the Roman city of Zeugma/Apamea
within the catchment area of the Birecik
dam on the Euphrates River, another construction
project under the management of the Turkish
State Hydraulic Works. Such working conditions
can never lend themselves to the fulfilment
of the condition set with respect to the
archaeological heritage at Hasankeyf.
In fact, WAC believes that it would be
very difficult to draw up and implement
a satisfactory preservation plan in the
circumstances prevailing in the region at
present. In this regard, WAC would wish
to make it clear to your Government that
the cultural heritage impact of the dam
reservoir extends far beyond the purely
physical confines of Hasankeyf itself in
two related ways.
Firstly, hundreds of different cultural
sites, dating to every period of human history,
fall within the total catchment area of
the proposed dam reservoir, and are therefore
threatened with destruction through inundation,
or associated construction and irrigation
works. Individual sites of local, regional
and international significance include examples
dating to the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Neo-Assyrian,
Late Roman, Byzantine and later medieval
periods respectively. Many other sites of
crucial importance to any adequate understanding
of the more recent histories of the local
populations in this region, including ancestral
graveyards, are also under threat of destruction
and/or prevention of access.
Secondly, from an archaeological perspective
it is vital to consider the relationship
between the physical archaeological material
and the affected communities living in the
area today. There are a variety of claims
to aspects of cultural heritage made by
differing sectors of the population located
right across the catchment area of the proposed
dam, of which the importance of Hasankeyf
itself to Kurdish people is only the best
known. These claims and different valuations
of the past, whether disputed or not, must
be outlined, researched and addressed in
full, and those affected must be consulted
and equitably involved in any decisions
regarding further investigation of this
heritage. This applies to Hasankeyf but
also to all of the other archaeological
material mentioned above. To date, there
seems to have been inadequate consultation
with affected communities in the area regarding
cultural heritage and no serious attempt
to involve them on an equal basis. Even
less recognition has been given to their
capacities and knowledge with regard to
this impact or their rights to retain access
to and use of cultural property.
In particular, WAC must express grave concern
that the vast majority of sites dating from
medieval and modern times and of most direct
relevance to the recent history of indigenous
populations are in danger of being ignored
altogether. The archaeology of these more
recent periods has suffered most from the
enforced brevity of archaeological surveys
carried out thus far and archaeologists
in the area are currently without the knowledge
necessary even to begin to attempt adequate
documentation. Such an oversight is all
too readily made in the case of 'salvage
archaeology' of the kind proposed for Ilisu,
and can lead to the total submergence of
the unrecorded material heritage of marginalised
people.
The severing of people from the materials
through which they understand their past
has demonstrable traumatic effects, particularly
when those people are already excluded,
exploited or discriminated against. Several
national and international bodies now emphasise
the need for consultation with all sectors
of project-affected communities on their
cultural and social rights, the requirement
to seek avoidance of detrimental impacts
on those rights and in particular, the principle
of free, prior and informed consent with
regard to indigenous and tribal peoples.
Like many other organisations, WAC is currently
considering the report of the World Commission
on Dams, which was the most recent statement
on such issues in the context of dams and
which summarises the international rights
framework for foregrounding the social,
cultural and environmental impacts in decisions
on building a dam or opting for an alternative.
WAC also notes the emphasis on social inclusion
and cultural diversity in the English Heritage
review of policies relating to the historic
environment - factors surely as relevant
in South East Turkey given the nature of
society in the region. WAC itself strongly
supports the rights and capacities of indigenous
peoples in the use and disposition of their
cultural property including access to their
religious and cultural sites (whether legally
held or not) and recognises the rights of
different ethnic groups to give consent
over any proposed treatment of their dead.
The code of ethics of WAC includes an obligation
'to establish equitable partnerships and
relationships between Members and indigenous
peoples whose cultural heritage is being
investigated' and 'to seek, wherever possible,
representation of indigenous peoples in
agencies funding or authorising research
to be certain their view is considered as
critically important in setting research
standards, questions, priorities and goals'.
You will see immediately how cultural rights,
as an aspect of human rights, are a key
priority in archaeological work since obligations
include responsibilities to those communities
with whom archaeologists work. In relation
to the Ilisu dam, the issues of cultural
rights of affected communities, of the much
broader range of archaeological material
at risk and of the obligations of archaeologists
in these two related instances, do not currently
form any substantial part of your own Government's
express condition with respect to the archaeological
heritage of the region.
Adequate opportunities to discharge these
professional obligations or to give voice
to cultural rights are unlikely to occur
at Ilisu, given the realities of the current
political situation in South East Turkey.
The prevailing circumstances of emergency
rule in force in the region make it impossible
to document the true extent of the cultural
impacts of the dam in any archaeological
preservation plan. It is not difficult to
outline a likely scenario under the present
circumstances, however. WAC believes that
the inadequate respect for human rights
in this area, which includes violation of
cultural rights, makes it very likely that
those impacts will be severe, irreversible
and disastrous for long-term social stability
within affected communities and in the region
generally. WAC considers that violation
of social and cultural rights of affected
communities, in the context of the lack
of any attempt to avoid present and future
impacts by seriously considering alternatives
to the project, is legitimate ground for
not proceeding with construction of the
Ilisu dam itself.
WAC asks that current and potential violations
of this sort be regarded as the fundamental
archaeological ground for reconsidering
the UK government's proposed funding of
this project and, on that basis, requests
that your Government withdraw its support
for it immediately. I thank you for your
attention and look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Hall
President
World Archaeological Congress
cc. The Rt. Hon. Steven Byers, M.P.
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Department of Trade and Industry
1 Victoria St.,
London, SW1H 0ET
UK
Fax: 0207 215 5675
The Rt. Hon. Richard Caborn, M.P.
Minister for Trade
Department of Trade and Industry
1 Victoria St.,
London, SW1H 0ET
UK
Fax: 0207 219 4866
The Rt. Hon. John Prescott, M.P.
Deputy Prime Minister,
Department of the Environment, Transport
and the
Regions,
Eland House,
Bressenden Place,
London SW1E 5DU
UK
The Rt. Hon. Robin Cook, M.P.
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth
Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles St.,
London, SW1A 2AH
UK
Fax: +44 171 839 2417
The Rt. Hon. Chris Smith, M.P.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and
Sport
Department for Culture, Media and Sport,
2-4 Cockspur St.,
London, SW1Y 5DH
UK
Fax: 020 7211 6249
Export Credit Guarantee Department
PO Box 2200
2 Exchange Tower
Harbour Exchange Square
London, E14 9GS
UK
Fax: 0207 751 27649
The Ilisu Dam Campaign
Box 210
266 Banbury Road,
Oxford OX2 7DL
UK
Further Information on the Ilisu Dam
The following web sites provide further
information on the different aspects of
and positions on the Ilisu dam project.
They are also listed on the WAC web site.
http://www.ilisu.org.uk
The Ilisu dam campaign is a UK based group
of NGOs and supporters set up in 2000 to
lobby the UK government on withdrawing its
support for the Ilisu dam project. A group
of archaeologists in Ireland and the UK
are working in partnership with this campaign.
http://www.metu.edu.tr/home/wwwmuze/ilisu.html
A certain amount of archaeological salvage
is taking place in the Ilisu area as part
of an agreement between the Turkish State
Hydraulic Works, Turkish Ministry of Culture
and the Middle East Technical University's
Centre for Research and Assessment of the
Historic Environment.
http://www.khrp.org/publish/p1999/ilisu%20report.htm
The Kurdish Human Rights Project, a UK-based
NGO, produced a report on the Ilisu dam
in 1999 - The Ilisu Dam: A Human Rights
Disaster in the Making -which includes
information on the attitudes of people in
the area to cultural heritage.
http://www.ecgd.gov.uk/graphic/pubreports/ilisu.asp?sid=25&hdr=Published%20Reports
The UK government commissioned a survey
of stakeholder attitudes to resettlement
and the dam, which includes a section on
archaeology at Hasankeyf. Also available
is a review of the initial Environmental
Impact Assessment for the project.
http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/turkey_2000.htm
ICOMOS Turkey has been critical of the
proposed Ilisu dam project in the report
Heritage @ Risk, published by ICOMOS in
2000.
Cultural Impacts of the Ilisu Dam: A
Meeting In Sardinia
Report by Maggie Ronayne
The WAC letter about the Ilisu dam has
been used by various campaign groups since
its release. I was recently invited to speak
on the cultural impacts of the Ilisu dam
by the Sardinian Committee for Solidarity
with the People of Kurdistan. This committee
was set up in 1998 and is composed of representatives
of local associations, trade unionists,
teachers, railway workers, students etc
who do this work in their spare time. Their
aim is to raise public awareness of the
problems faced by Kurdish people. They have
sent three missions to Kurdistan, which
have included local councillors and administrators,
and as I write, are about to organise a
fourth for Newroz (the Kurdish new year).
Their main activities involve facilitating
and publicising these missions and their
results, attempting to establish political,
social, cultural and economic connections
between municipalities and associations
in Sardinia and similar entities in the
towns and villages of Kurdish areas.
They work with Turkish and Kurdish organisations,
contribute to campaigns which highlight
the various issues facing Kurdish people
today, raise funds for vehicles and equipment
needed by Kurdish communities and organising
meetings and festivals as a part of this.
From their own finances and with financial
support from the city council of Quartu
S. Elena which is adjoined to Cagliari,
they ran the festival ‘Quartu for Kurdistan’.
They paid for me to be there as a speaker
and also for an Italian translator and activist
who is familiar with the material to come
with me. This was essentially an event about
the politics of culture as well as a celebration
of Kurdish cultural forms. There were photographic
exhibitions, film showings, musical events
(including an amazing last night concert
by Koma Amed, a group of Kurdish musicians
from Istanbul), poetry readings and political
meetings. Some of the other discussions
related to the work of the Mothers of Peace
(a group of Kurdish and Turkish women who
demonstrate and organise in Istanbul to
highlight the ‘disappearances’ of family
members and for an end to the poverty and
trauma caused by political tension and conflict)
and a speech about her mother’s imprisonment
by the 20 year old daughter of Leyla Zana
(a Kurdish parliamentarian imprisoned in
Turkey for speaking in Kurdish in the Turkish
parliament). I spoke about the cultural
and social impacts on women, children and
men of the proposed Ilisu dam project and
the larger GAP development project of which
it forms a part, at a meeting on Thursday
22nd February. I focused mainly on the UK/Ireland
campaign to stop the dam and the letter
sent by the WAC President to the UK Prime
Minister about the archaeological impacts
which the proposed dam will have. A film
of life in and around Hasankeyf was also
shown and there was much debate afterwards.
The meeting was attended by members of the
committee, members of the public, Kurdish
representatives, students and lecturers
from the University of Cagliari and two
representatives from the national executive
committee of the CGIL, the biggest Italian
trade union. Other engagements were also
organised for me and I was particularly
happy to meet and make arrangements for
future work with representatives of the
Kurdish community in Italy and from a Kurdish
women’s organisation based in Germany.
On Saturday, 24th February, I also had
the opportunity to travel to Lanusei, a
town about three hours’ drive from Cagliari,
close to the east coast of the island, to
give a talk to 150 secondary school children.
In geography classes, many of them had already
looked at the issues surrounding not only
the Ilisu dam but also other projects such
as the Three Gorges Project in China. The
strongest analogy for them was with the
depth of feeling in the area about Sardinian
culture and their own language, Sardo, which
they speak at home and any possible destruction
or denial of their cultural rights in this
regard, especially in ‘development’ projects
in their own area. These planned developments
include a national park which will interfere
with the holding of land in common in the
predominantly pastoral economy in the area
and a ‘genetic research park’ where the
genetic inheritance of the local population
may well be patented by a multi-national
company. Meetings like these are examples
of the way in which many different groups
campaigning against the ‘development model’
of transnational capitalism (or what many
people call ‘globalisation’) are connecting
up the present with the past. People have
everyday experience of that sort of 'development’
themselves whether it's in Europe or the
result of European money being invested
elsewhere as is the case with Ilisu, and
know that they don’t have a choice whether
to connect these things up in opposing the
destruction of cultural heritage which is
organic to the social links between people.
I owe thanks to many people who made this
visit possible, useful and enjoyable. They
are Antonello Pabis, Chicco Pes, Carla Pes,
Martina Pes, Rojin Felat, Viviana, Mariangela,
Pati Luceri, Nicola Melis, Gülbahar Aslan,
Salvatore Carta, Sebastiana Loi, Paolo Benegiamo,
Lia Losa, Pier Paolo Frassinelli. I am grateful
to the Committee and to the City Council
of Quartu for funding to attend the meeting,
to the Pes family for feeding and watering
us and ferrying us about and to all for
the introduction to Sardinian culture and
hospitality. Thanks also to Willy Kitchen
and Kate Geary.
|
World
Archaeological Bulletin