MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – The beautiful nature and history of the Kurdish region in Turkey are in danger of dams. Hasankeyf, Eğil, and Halfeti districts have been submerged by dams and now Gelîyê Godernê Valley Valley is at risk of being submerged due to a dam project. The valley is located at the borders of Kulp, Silvan, and Hazro districts of Amed province and it will be submerged due to Silvan Dam being built in the region within the scope of the Southeastern Anatolia Project. The waterfall and nature of the valley attacks local and foreign tourists every year.

The valley will disappear with its history and nature

70% of the Silvan Dam has been completed and it is expected to be complete in 2022. More than 50 villages of Amed’s Silvan, Kulp, Hazro, and Lice districts will be submerged when the construction of the dam is completed. And Gelîyê Godernê Valley, a natural area having a rich ecosystem, cultural structure, and history, will be also submerged due to the dam project.

People protest the construction of the dam

The people living in the region protest the construction of the dam, which is expected to complete in 2022 while the villagers don’t want to leave their villages, which will be submerged.

Submerged districts in the region due to dam projects are as follows;

Halfeti; Urfa

Halfeti is a small district of Şanlıurfa province. Most of Halfeti’s villages were submerged in the 1990s under the water of the Birecik Dam. Savaşan village is one of the submerged villages. Before being submerged, the village was known for its stone-carved houses, minarets, and historical monuments, and cobblestone pavements.

Eğil; Diyarbakır

Many historical caves and places of the Eğil district of Diyarbakır province were submerged under the water of the Tigris Dam about 20 years ago. The district is known as the “City of Prophets,” by local people. It has been ruled by the Armenians, the Assyrians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Abbasids, the Seljuks, and the Ottoman Empire.

Hasankeyf; Batman

Hasankeyf is an ancient town and district located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province. The city, its archaeological sites, and more than 200 villages have been flooded as part of the Ilısu Dam project. The dam is 135 m high and 1,820 m wide and it also affects Siirt, Mardin, Batman, and Diyarbakır provinces in the region.