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DESERT WATER- THE CURSE OF THE TIGRIS

“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it.” -Lao Tzu

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The construction of the Ilisu Dam on on the Tigris river is set to be completed by 2015. Once the dam is fully operational, it will have drowned vast parts of the Tigris Valley in Batman Province, eastern Turkey.
In addition to the destruction of nature and historical sites such as Hasankeyf, dating back to 1800 B.C., the predominantly Kurdish population is being relocated to the industrial city of Batman.

Farmers, fishermen and their families who, for generations, have lived with the river’s natural flow, are being forced to give up their homes and agricultural lifestyle to make way for Turkey’s need for electricity and irrigation.

Long-standing political disharmony between the Turkish majority to the North and West and the Kurds to the South and East means that Turkey hopes to gain in numerous ways at the expense of Kurdistan- Whilst harvesting electricity for the mainly Turkish population centres outside of Kurdistan, creating an agribusiness-ready valley for international investors, blocking water supplies to much of Kurdistan and forcing a people out of their homeland, Ankara is lining up for a major victory against Kurdistan whose population has been demonised throughout the country since its incorporation into Turkey after WWI.

A young man speeds across the bridge at Hasankeyf. If the Illisu dam project is completed, the village along with most of its heritage dating back to at least 1800 BC will be almost fully submerged.
A boy casts a fishing line into the Tigris, just upstream from Hasankeyf.
Zeki (left), a farmer in the village of Irmakköy, a few kilometres downstream of Hasankeyf, will lose his livelihood if the dam is built. Here, he grows peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelon for the village and local markets. When asked what he would do if the water were to rise he replied laughingly that he'd move to Australia.
A view to the Tigris from the hilltop above Hasankeyf. The piers of an ancient bridge built in 1116 AD are still visible.
New buildings stand empty a couple of kilometres above the old town of Hasankeyf. It is unlikely that the relatively poor locals will be able to afford an apartment here if their homes are flooded.
Apartment blocks in the city of Batman- many families forced to relocate expect to end up here. Although Batman offers some modern amenities such as shopping, hospitals and schools, residents have little access to nature.
Naif, 44, takes a break from the afternoon sun with local children in Irmakköy. He sustains himself and his family though farming and building.
Supply trucks cross the Tigris at the break of dawn to the dam site an hour's drive southeast from Hasankeyf.
Local children spend most of their days outdoors in the town of Irmakköy on the Tigris.
Boys spend their summer afternoons swimming and skipping rocks on the cool waters of the Tigris.
A boy in Ilisu with the dam site behind him.
Jamil, 41, runs a fish restaurant above the banks of the Tigris. His wife, daughter and extended family all live in Hasankeyf. What happens if they flood the river? 'I'll kill myself,' he said.
Wind whips up dust in Hasankeyf. Ancient manmade caves on the riverbanks are visible bottom right. Hasankeyf has been inhabited for some 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest surviving settlements in the world today.
Massoud, 40, is a builder and gardener in and around Hasankeyf. He and his 6 year-old son, Farouk will be faced with major changes if they are relocated to Batman.
Amir with his grandson, Barzan. Because they live higher up on the hill, they will not need to relocate- however, the pretty hillside adjacent their home now used for grazing, will be the site of new buildings and a highway to Batman.
A petrol station outside of Hasankyef. Oilfields nearby are a major source of revenue for the Turkish government.
Girls and boys play in the evening light of Irmakköy.
Eshan, 18, tends his flock on the hills surrounding Hasankeyf. He insists that he will be forced to move to Batman if the dam is completed. He asks, 'What am I to do in the city? I am a shepherd.'
A bend in the beautiful Tigris River between Batman and Hasankeyf.
Amir with his grandsons, Barzan and Shaban. Because they live higher up on the hill, they will not need to relocate- however, the pretty hillside adjacent their home now used for grazing, will be the site of new buildings and a highway to Batman.
A little girl in Ilisu on the Tigris river, the site of the dam.
A boy takes a break from fishing in the Tigris, just upstream from Hasankeyf. The fish he catches will make a nourishing meal for himself and his family.
Zeki, a farmer in the village of Irmakköy, a few kilometres downstream of Hasankeyf, will lose his livelihood if the dam is built. Here, he grows peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelon for the village and local markets. When asked what he would do if the water were to rise he replied laughingly that he'd move to Australia.
A boy in Ilisu, site of the dam.
A view of the Tigris from Irmakköy.
Girls watch the sunset over the Tigris in the town of Irmakköy.
The cliffs above Hasankeyf are home to hundreds of ancient man-made caves. This potential UNESCO world heritage site will be mostly underwater once the Ilisu dam is completed.
A view upstream- the hot summer sun gleams off the wild Tigris.
Dust shrouds the bridge at Hasankeyf during a summer windstorm.
The Tigris is home to may 130 species of birds, various fish and other wildlife. Here, a turtle basks in the sun. It is the last wild river in the entire region.
The future site of 'New Hasankeyf' with a new highway in the background. The apartments being built here are far more expensive than what most locals could afford.
The cliffs behind the Tigris make for a stunning backdrop to a refreshing summer swim.
The piers of an ancient bridge built in Hasankeyf in 1116 AD are still visible.
Batman, an industrial city, will be the new home of many of those displaced by the Ilisu dam project.
For these boys, this will be one of the last summers spent playing in the river. The entire valley is expected to be under water by sometime in 2016.
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