Work on clearing site for the controversial Ilisu dam on Tigris river threatens collapse of ancient monument famed for thousands of manmade cavesThe destruction of Turkey’s 12,000-year-old Hasankeyf citadel has moved a step closer as authorities have begun to collapse cliff faces around the ruins of the settlement. Germany, Austria and Switzerland withdrew financial support for the Ilisu dam in July 2009, citing concerns about the social, cultural and environmental impact. The Ilisu dam has a life expectancy of less than 100 years, but the destruction of the fragile natural environment will be irreversible. “The Tigris river basin is one of the last areas where a river runs freely in Turkey without having been dammed,” Ayboga says. Their livelihoods are now again endangered by the Turkish dam.

Source: The Guardian August 29, 2017 11:01 UTC