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Ilisu dam site nominated for UNESCO heritage status
Hasankeyf and the Tigris Valley: a perfect fit for a UNESCO World Heritage Site
16 April 2009, ANKARA
Doğa Derneği
A delegation from Doğa Derneği, including reknowned pop star Tarkan, has met with Ertuğrul Günay, the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism. The Doğa Derneği delegation presented Minister Günay with a scientific report demonstrating that the Tigris Valley and Hasankeyf meet the UNESCO World Heritage Sites criteria.
Highlighting the fact that Hasankeyf is unique and unprecedented on Earth, Doğa Derneği President Güven Eken said, “There are 10 criteria set by UNESCO for a place to be included in the World Heritage List. While fulfilling just one of these 10 criteria is enough for a place to make the UNESCO World Heritage List, Hasankeyf and the Tigris Valley in which it is located meet 9 criteria out of the 10. This fact makes Hasankeyf one of the most important places on Earth. For these nine reasons, we asked the Minister to begin the required process to include Hasankeyf and the Tigris Valley on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List.”
International popstar Tarkan, actively supporting Doğa Derneği’s actions and the Save Hasankeyf Campaign, indicated that the immeasurable value of Hasankeyf and the Tigris Valley becomes clearer when we look at sites already on the UNESCO World Heritage List .
“If you consider that Egyptian pyramids are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List by meeting 3 criteria, the Great Wall of China 5 and Cappadocia and Machu Pichu by meeting 4 criteria out of 10, we understand better the significance of Hasankeyf and Tigris Valley, which meet almost all of the criteria.
The Tigris River has hosted several civilizations since the beginning of human history. Moreover, many of the tumuli in the region give evidence of pre-historic human settlements. Its ten thousand years of history and outstanding nature make this place one of the unique and charming World Heritage sites.
The Tigris Valley and Hasankeyf meet the nine criteria (1) according to a report, prepared by a group of scientists (including Istanbul University Head of the Department of Restoration, Professor Zeynep Ahunbay) presented to the Minister of Culture and Tourism.
Doga Dernegi has been actively campaigning to have Hasankeyf and the Tigris Valley placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List and is urging the Government of Turkey to find an alternative development vision for the region that includes promoting eco-tourism and preserving the region’s cultural and natural heritage, rather than the decimation of ten thousand years of history proposed by the construction of the Ilisu Dam (2).
For more information: Yücel Sönmez yucel.sonmez@dogadernegi.org
Tel: +90 216 462 2724 / 0549 860 27 64
Notes to Editors:
(1) The Nine Criteria met by Hasankeyf and the Tigris Valley are:
- 1. to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- 2. to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- 3. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
- 4. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
- 5. to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;
- 6. to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
- 7. to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
- 8. to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;
- 9. to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
(2) Required finance for the Ilisu Hydro-power Plant Project is provided by the approval of Germany, Switzerland and Austria governments’ export-credit agencies. The credit approval has been suspended for 6 months after Turkey could not fulfill the required criteria. The final decision will be taken in June 2009. According to the studies, 83 of more than 300 archeological sites in the dam area will be submerged. Along with its archeological value, Tigris Valley and Hasankeyf is also important for its biodiversity with endangered species in the region. If the Ilisu Project will be started, the riparian ecosystem in the region and 5 Key Biodiversity Areas in the region will be irreversible damaged.
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