Open Letter to Andritz Company Concerning Construction of the Ilisu Dam

(Save the Tigris, 22 March 2013) Press Release by Campaign to Save the Tigris River and the Iraqi Marshes. On the occasion of Austria's Andritz AG Annual General Meeting which is being held on World Water Day, the Save the Tigris campaign, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations from Iraq, Iran & Turkey, sent a letter to Andritz’s CEO, Wolfgang Leitner, regarding Andritz' involvement in the construction of the Ilisu Dam in Turkey; a controversial project which has failed to comply with basic international law. The open letter was signed by 4447 Iraqis and received support from other dam affected communities from Chile, Indonesia, Spain, Turkey, and support from the international community in Italy, UK, the US who endorsed Iraqi demands to stop supplying equipment for the dam construction until compliance with international law and treaties is assured.The Export Credit Agencies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland have suspended credit guarantees due to Turkish failure to comply with required environmental, social and cultural heritage conditions.