Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, holds special significance due to its unique geographical location and climate. Beginning as early as the Stone Age, the inhabitants of this region have achieved great milestones for humanity. Civilization was borne along the banks of these rivers, and during the Neolithic Era, these river basins saw the rise of agriculture and the domestication of animals. The written word was developed here, and many years later, the ancestors of those original scholars built the first mechanical robots. Today, this ecoregion is home to a diverse array of animal and plant life.
A series dams were built on the Euphrates in the last quarter of the 20th century and, as a result, the rivers system’s ecology has suffered and it has lost many of the innate properties of a river. The area experience a sudden change of local climate, which not only harmed species living in Mesopotamia, but also had a negative effect on the society residing in the area. Out of 820 archeological sites discovered in the region, only 76 were partially investigated. The investigation of the remaining sites has the potential to enlighten human history, but they were abandoned and allowed to become submerged in the Euphrates River after the dam construction.
Today, a huge hydroelectric power station is to be built on the Tigris with the name ILISU DAM PROJECT. If this project takes place, those species that fled the Euphrates valley and took refuge in the Tigris valley,will surely face extinction. Residents depending on agriculture for their livelihoods will be forced to migrate. The unique cultural and historical heritage of the region, including that of Hasankeyf, will be destroyed. All of these sacrifices will be made for the construction of a dam, which only has the capacity to generate profit for 50 years at most. This upcoming catastrophe can only be stopped with a determined public pressure.
However, the voice of the local communities is not strong enough to prevent the construction of the dam. We (Batman Ecology Community) are trying to spread the resistance of volunteers against the construction of the ILISU DAM. The campaign named Hasankeyf Solidarity aims to stop this project and support other local resistances all around the world. As a first step of creating a global awareness, we invite you to celebrate September the 20th as World Hasankeyf Day. For further information about Hasankeyf Solidarity and our other action plans, please visit:
Blogger: hasankeyfsolidarity.blogspot.com.tr/ (English)
Blogger: hasankeyfdayanismasi.blogspot.com.tr/ (Turkish)
Twitter: Hasankeyf Dayanışması@HisnKaifa
Email: hisnkaifa@yahoo.com
If you would like to support our social media team please follow our Twitter account @HinsKaifa
Here are some tips for helping Hasankeyf Solidarity as an effective social media activist:
- Create a Twitter account if you don't have already.
- Follow our Twitter account @HisnKaifa
- Reteweet our tweets.
- Use our hashtags in your tweets. Tweet as much as you can.
- Share this text. Share it in your Facebook too.
- Keep resisting till the ILISU DAM POJECT is cancelled.
Hasankeyf Solidarity
