The Impacts of Illisu
Dam on the Environment Surrounding and Human Being in Both Iraq and Turkey
By:
Prof. Dr.
Ibrahim Khalil Al- Allaf.
Regional
Studies Center –University of
Mosul
Illisu dam on the river Tigris, is one of thirteen similar project, that
Turkish government intend to execute on the river Tigris and Euphrates. These
projects are to be used for producing electric power by using hydraulic power.
Illisu dam is considered as part of the (Forest Project), which is to the south
east of the Anadol, near the shared borders with Iraq and Syria, and was
expected to be executed by British company. The Regional Director of the
International Bank assured that : “The bank is going to offer a hundred million
dollars for executing seven projects, in the planes of Harran and Shanle Orphe
within the Forest Project”. Illisu dam will contain an electro-hydraulic
station of a 1.200.000.000 Mw capacity, to produce a power of 3.830.000.000
kw/hr/year.
On December 2000, the British
government decided to offer a lawn for a British company to erect the Illisu
dam, of which the estimated cost approaches to 1.75 billion dollars. Turkey
decided that the end of the year 2000, will be the start of the project, which
will require (export credits) from nine countries, including the UK in the
first place. The project includes, in addition to the dam, huge artificial lake
behind it.
The (Environment Supporters),
criticized severely the project of Illisu dam, emphasizing that it will affect
negatively on more that 60.000 people , living on the banks of the river Tigris
in Turkish Kurdistan. On the other hand, the (International Development
Agencies), expressed their fears that executing this dam will result in a
disastrous increment in the water level of the river Tigris, leading to
negative impacts on both Iraq and Syria. In addition, the water of the
artificial lake will submerge some important archaeological places. It is worth
mentioning, that the British criticisms for the dam were instigated by the
groups of human rights defenders. Two MPs, Ann Cloyde and peter Lloyed,
investigated the opinions of the inhabitants of the area about the dam,
moreover, the Parliament fears that the violation of human rights, because of
the project, will rise the suspects about the claim of the British Government,
about following a foreign policy which does not consider the morale principles.
Thus, the UK government was criticized severely for its support to the project
and due to the pressure of many sides upon the government, a UK governmental
group put four conditions to agree to a supportive lawn of 450 million dollars.
These conditions are :
1- Starting a resettlement program for 60.000 Kurds who will be
forced to leave their villages because of the project.
2- Consulting Iraq and Syria about the project.
3- Introducing a plan for saving archaeological sites, who are 2000
years old.
4- Starting environmental improvements, including the installation
of sewer channels.
Due to the mentioned conditions, the Swedish Company (Scansca) withdrew
from the project, in addition, the British Ministry of Trade and Industry,
recommended the companies to withdraw, but the prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair)
cancelled this recommendation. Also, Mike Wilton, the executive director of
(Balfour Beatty), said that there are many sustained unsolved problems
regarding the project, and it is better for his company not to proceed. Members
of political and environmental groups assured that the companies withdrew from
the project, because building the dam on the river Tigris will make thousands
of people homeless, starts a war with Iraq or Syria and destroys many
archaeological treasures including the castle of Hasankef’s which belongs to
the medieval centuries.
Dr. Mothafar Abdullah Al-amin, the head of the Iraqi Interests Brach in
London, said that the efforts of the (Earth friends society) and the team that
opposited the project were successful, and he thanked the environmental groups,
mentioning that Iraq offered many information about the negative effects of the
dam. Al-amin also revealed that Turkey claimed that Iraq and Syria approved to
the project, saying that the dam will not reduce the water level, but the truth
is that the Turkish government decided to execute the project, in spite of the
Iraqi and Syrian objections.
The Stance of The Turkish Government
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that “Turkey will resume the
project, and the withdrawal of the British and Italian companies is a sorrowful
news”. This withdrawal weakens the association of the companies which were
decided to execute the project, and after the withdrawal of the Swedish
company, three Turkish companies were left alone. (Teska , Norwall and
Tekifen).
The stance of Iraq and Syria
The Arab League received two official memorandums from Iraq and Syria
concerning the participation of Swiss companies in building Illisu dam on the
UK is Tigris. Syria informed the League that the UK is making a study to
finance the process of erecting one of the biggest dams on the river Tigris
called Illisu dam, and that Turkey plans to execute this project within the
(Forest Project) near the borders with Iraq and Syria, without consulting these
two countries, assuring that this project represents a clear violation to the
rules of inter national law related to structures executed on the international
rivers.
Iraqi government in her memorandum emphasized that developing the farms
and enlarging the irrigated areas in the region, which the international Bank
decided to finance within the (forest project), will result in.
A-
Reducing the annual amount
of water for Iraq and Syria.
B- The dangers of severe
pollution.
C- Reducing the power
generated in Iraq and Syria leading eventually to a great damage in the economy
and development of the two countries.
The report urged the Arab Foreign Ministries to take the necessary
measures reconsidering the treaties and agreements between Arab countries and
the companies and foundations, which are involved in executing Turkish projects
in the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, until an agreement is accomplished among
Iraq, Syria and Turkey, about dividing the water of the two rivers into fair
shares.
The stance of the Arab League about Illisu Dam
The Arab League warned, in a report discussed during the conference of
the Arab Foreign Ministry, on the 4th of July 1999, of the
participation of the governments and some companies in the UK and Swiss Union
in the project of Illius dam.
The report stated that this warning was sent as massages from the former
Secretary General of the Arab League, Mr. Ismat Abdulmajeed, to both Mr. Robin
Cock, the former British Foreign Minister, and the Foreign Ministry of the
Swiss Union.
In his massage, the Secretary General emphasized on violating the law by
the British and Swiss companies if they participated in financing this project,
and urged to avoid the negative impacts which may result from the British and
Swiss support for this project.
The Secretary General stated that the stance of the UK and Swiss Union
does not conquer with the principles of the international law and civilization
standards, moreover, it is a Turkish violation to the rules of the
International law, related to constructing structures on the international
rivers, which are included in the international treaties and agreements,
approved by the UN, including the UK as a member state, on May 1997.
Earlier, the secretary General expressed his fears, as well as the
League’s to the Director of the International Bank, that the continuous of
financing there Turkish projects, will have negative effects on the rights of
the Arabs in the waters of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. The secretary
General expressed also his hope that the international Bank reconsiders his
decision about this issues to guarantee the rights and interests of the member
states, and to show the commitment to the objects and rules of the Bank rules
of the Bank.
The Secretary General of the Arab League also, referred to the former
assurance of the Director of the International Bank, in which he emphasized
that the Bank will not finance any projects, within the (Forest Project),
unless it fulfills the requirements of the operational policy of the Bank
especially these related to the law of water courses.
On July, 17th 2000, the Arab League asked the UK to
reconsider financing the project of Illisu dam, fearing that it will force many
inhabitants in the area to leave their homes, as well as affecting the amount
of water allocated for Iraq and Syria.
A senior official in the League stated that : “the League had sent a massage
to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Robin Cock, informing him that this dam
will represent a violation to international laws, related to common rivers”,
moreover the Deputy of the Secretary General for political affairs, Mr.
Mohammed Zakaria Ismael , declared that building this dam will result in :
1- The migration of thousands of people from the area.
2- The reduction of the water shares of both Iraq and Syria.
It is worth mentioning that the Arab League, pays a great attention to
the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. The council of the League issued many
resolutions since the 98th session on September 1992, in which it
confirmed its support to the rights of Iraq and Syria in the waters of the
rivers Tigris and Euphrates, calling the Turkish government to a
trio-negotiations, in order to reach to a final agreement about dividing these
water into fair and reasonable shares for the three countries, in accordance to
the rules of international Law. Earlier , the Council expressed its fears about
the continuance of the Turkish projects of building dams on the rivers Tigris
and Euphrates, without prior consultation with Iraq and Syria , according to
the international treaties and protocols among the three countries. The Council
also expressed his fears about the resolution of the British government to
finance building the Turkish Illisu dam on the river Tigris, urging the UK to
stop financing the project, and calling the member states of the League, to
reconsider their deals with the companies participating in the Turkish projects
on the river Tigris and Euphrates, and finally urging the member states, who
did not approve the treaty of using international water courses for
non-navigation purposes, to do so immediately.
Arab Ministers, on their turn, expressed their fears of the Turkish
persistence on building dams and other projects on the rivers Tigris and
Euphrates , without prior consultation with the two neighboring countries, Iraq
and Syria according to the items of the international Law, Treaties and Protocols
among the three countries.
The Ministers expressed , also their concern from the growing danger of
the (Israeli) role in the (Forest Project), in Turkey on the security of Arab
waters.
Arab Ministers expressed their concern of
the intention of the British and Swiss governments, to give credits to finance
the Turkish Illisu dam, calling these governments to respond to the objections
of the Arab formal and non-formal organizations, to stop financing the project,
and urging Arab countries to reconsider their deals with the companies
participating in the Turkish projects and they urged the Arab states, to use
their relations with the countries and international foundations, who intend to
finance or credit these projects to stop, until a fair agreement among three
countries is achieved. Arab countries who did not approve the treaty of using
international courses for non-navigation purposes, or who did not deposit the
approval document to the Secretary General of the UN, were urged to do so
immediately, as well as , convincing friend countries to follow the same
procedure, and to urge the Secretary General of the Arab League, to intense his
efforts with the Turkish side, in order to reach to a fair solution, which
guarantees the rights two Arab countries, and to continue with the foreign
foundations, wo intend to participate funding or executing the project of
Illisu dam, to convince them with the dangerous impacts of such projects.
All these efforts affected obviously in the following changes in the
situation, such as the withdrawal of the British and Italian companies, on
which Turkey depended to execute the project, in order to eliminate the whole
project.
The BBC announced on the 13th of November 2001, the news of
the withdrawal of the biggest participating companies in the project, the
British (Balfour Beatty) and the Italian (Ambrillio), as a big hit for the
project, in spite of the support of British PM (Mr. Tony Blair). The Guardian
and The Financial Times said that (Balfour Beatty), the giant company, “decided
to withdraw from the project, because of the economic, social and environmental
reasons, which hinder the execution of the project”. This sudden announcement
comes after the spread of rumors saying that the British PM wanted to reward
Turkey in return for her support in invading Afghanistan.
In a statement issued on November 12th 2001, Balfour Beatty
announced that the decision of the withdrawal resulted from general and exact
evaluation for all commercial, environmental and social problems related to the
project. The statement added that “since these problems are not solved yet, nor
in the future, Balfour Beatty thinks that it is best for the shareholders to
quit the project.” It is worth mentioning that the withdrawal of Balfour Beatty
came within a chain of similar cases, such as the case of the Swedish company
(Scanscama), which took place in 2000, because of “the difficult negotiations
with the other participating companies”, as the company claimed. After the
withdrawal of Balfour Beatty, only an Austrian company specialized in
electro-hydraulic projects, was left alone. The UK government supported the
project from the beginning with Turkey. Yet, it is not clear, so far, weather
the withdrawal of the British company will delay the project, or cancel
it. Mr. Kerim Yeldiz, the Executive
Director of the Kurdish Human Rights Project said, in an interview with the BBC
: “ It is a good news, the whole project is now blown away.” But Turkey does
not agree with the plan of the supporters of environment and human rights, on
the contrary, Turkey considers canceling the project, as a big hit for the
policy of the country, which depends on attracting the foreign capitals to the
country.
It is really surprising that, the French company “Elestom”, started in
the middle of 2002, negotiations with the Turkish government, to execute the
Illisu dam, without considering the criticisms to the project, especially those
related to the right of Iraq in the quality and quantity of the waters of the
river Tigris, never to mention the impacts of the dam on the environment,
population, health and archaeological places. Great efforts are needed by all
available means, to impose pressure on the French company, by the social and
environmental organizations, as well as, opening a conversation with the French
government, to prevent this company from executing this project, since many
British, Swedish, Italian and Swiss companies withdrew from the project, for
the same reasons mentioned above. It is the duty of the human, public and
environmental organizations and parties in both Iraq Syria, in cooperation with
the international Health Organization, International Environment Organization
and Human Rights Societies, to use all the available means , to explain the
seriousness of the impacts of Illisu edam, on Iraq, Syria and Turkey, in
addition. To the contrasts between building this dam with the International
Laws related to International Rivers.
Recommendations
1- Starting a conversation with the IHO and IEO about the negative
impacts of the dam on health and environment in Iraq, Syria and even Turkey.
2- Launching a wide campaign, wheather in newspapers or in
magazines, or by TV and internet, to unveil the dangers beyond building the
dam, and the harm that will result from it, to the Iraqi interests, including
the quantities and qualities of the waters of the river Tigris their effect on
health and environment.
3- Exposuring the stance of the French company, “Elestom”, which
intends to execute the dam, considering the withdrawal of British, Swedish and
Swiss companies, after they discovered the legal, environmental and social
impacts of the dam.
4- Holding conferences and meeting about the subject, informing the
people about the impacts of this dam on Iraq and Syria and unveiling the legal
texts about building structures on the international rivers, those texts are
included in the international treaties and protocols, especially that of using
water courses for non-navigation purposes, which was approved by the UN in May
1997.
5- Inviting Turkey to re-attend the sessions of the trio-committee
of (Iraq Syria and Turkey), which was formed previously to study dividing the
waters of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, according to international laws and
rules.
6- Informing the French company “Elestom”, that Iraq will seriously
consider its negative stance and will stop any future deals with the company,
since that the participation of the French company in the project will reduce
the quantity of water of the Tigris, which is allocated for Iraq, in addition
to the deterioration in the quality of these waters, and the negative impacts
of this dam in health, environment and inhabitants in the area.
7- Trying to contact the human, environmental and social
organizations in French, Turkey and other parts of the world, to unveil the
stance of the French company “Elsstom” and the cooperation between the company
and Turkey to execute the Illisu dam, in spite of the dangers of the dam on the
health environment and archaeological places, not only in Iraq, but even in Turkey.
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