AKP DAİŞ'i aratmıyor: Hasankeyf'te kayaları yıkıyorhttps://t.co/eQjJKHrl7G#ANFHaber pic.twitter.com/QEjL0OFLjn
— ANF_TURKCE (@ANF_TURKCE_) August 14, 2017
Bar associations call for support for Hasankeyf
Bar associations of Amed and Batman issued a statement at the by dynamite detonated site of Hasankeyf, and called on everyone to support the preservation of the ancient city.
After video footage got viral in the media, showing the detonation of Hasankeyf's historical caves, an envoy of lawyers from bar associations in Amed and Batman headed to Hasankeyf and investigated the scene.
Besides the desecration of an ancient history by the dam project that the AKP government continues to build on Hasankeyf’s river for some time now, also historical caves got demolished with dynamites by the dam construction company on 14 August.
Following the observations, Head of Amed Bar Association Ahmet Özmen issued a statement on behalf of the envoy, and said:
"Do not sacrifice history of 12000 years for a dam that will sustain for 50 years alone. What we came to see here is a saddening picture. They have demolished huge boulder and rock formations with dynamite. We have spoken with the local merchants, citizens and people of the region. They do not want to leave their land and home. They do not want their home and land be flooded. But they cannot do anything because their homes and land have been usurped."
Özmen stated that the citizens are forced to resettle in New Hasankeyf area built across the Tigris River, and said: "The place the people lived in before, and the one constructed now are two different worlds. Hasankeyf is the humanity’s greatest witness of the past. It is the heritage of all humankind, leaving 12000 years of history behind.
This area housed dozens of civilizations. There is none that equals it in the whole world. You don't have the right to sacrifice the 12000 years old history for a dam that will last 50 years. Along with the historical site, 400 mounds also get destroyed. Each of those mounds have their own special history. Instead of digging up the history of those mounds and sharing it with the world, the state floods the history to never let it come to light. Everyone should support us and rise up against the destruction and desecration of history."
An envoy formed thereafter out of Amed and Batman Bar Associations gathered information from Hasankeyf's citizens and merchants, before their investigation continued on the site of the detonated ancient caves.
Demolition with construction equipment starts in Hasankeyf
In the antique town Hasankeyf, where human formed rocks were destroyed through explosives recently, demolition continues now with construction equipment.
As the demolition in the antique town Hasankeyf continues due to the genocidal and rent-seeking policies of the AKP government, construction equipment have started to destroy rocks in the area that was demolished through explosives recently.
With the demolition of human formed rocks through explosives in Hasankeyf, the destruction of this 12.000 years old town at the Tigris River in the Kurdish Southeast of Turkey has entered a new phase. Hasankeyf, more than 300 archaeological sites, 136 km Tigris River stretch and 199 other settlements would be flooded if the construction of the Ilisu Dam – one of the most controversial dams worldwide – would be completed.
The “bringing down of rocks” at the castle rock and its surrounding valleys started some two weeks ago with the official aim to consolidate them for the time after the planned impounding of the dam reservoir and subsequent development of tourism.
After the broad public critic in the last week the governor of Batman province and the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), responsible for the Ilisu Project, said that no explosives have been used and the objective is to protect civilians from falling rocks.
The fact is that for only some rocks no explosives have been used, but locals confirmed that for the most ones it was the case, and that 7 years ago was one rock fall in Hasankeyf, but due to recent human impacts and non taken measures by the ministry for culture.
However, the alleged ‘constituting danger by rocks’ has the real aim to drive out people and artisans from Hasankeyf nowadays and particularly to have enough debris for the planned antique harbour which would be central for the planned tourism of the rock castle. It is cheaper to bring down material than to transport it from areas far away.
Return to Kurdistan Debates, Articles and Analysis
Registered users: Bing [Bot], Majestic-12 [Bot]