Dersim site: chansons mazandara

DO NOT TOUCH THE RÝVER MUNZUR!

Auteur - yazari: By Murat Cano (English trans. by Seyfi Cengiz) Tarih, gün ve saat : 16. Ocak 2005 10:55:39:

DO NOT TOUCH THE RIVER MUNZUR!

By Murat Cano
(Lawyer and one of the founding member of the Watchcommision of the Turkey`s Dams and Cultural Heritage)
(Translated from Turkish version into English by Seyfi Cengiz, September, 2004)

Table of Contents:

I-Munzur Needs Help

II-Water and `The Other` Values in Turkey
We will either have a country worth to live in tomorrow or we will have Hell on earth

III-To the Turkish Embassy in .....(To be forwarded to the tenth Department of Danistay, the Turkish High Court)

IV-To The Prime Minister of Turkey (29.01.2001)

V-Can You Sleep Well While Munzur Is Under Threat?

VI-The Dam Project Will Destroy The Nature and Force The People Into Exile ( The Speech by Murat Cano on “the Question of Dams and Environment“ given at the 2nd Cultural and Natural Festival of Munzur on July 29, 2001)

VII-To The Chair of The Administrative Court In Istanbul, 30.04.2002 (To be forwarded to the Danistay, The Turkish High Court)

Munzur Needs Help
The Turkish state decided to build eight dams over River Munzur. In coming days the machines are going to start operating in the valley, which was declared as National Park in 1971. The water that gives life to the valley will strangle it, when a 125 meter-high wall is built in its front. The climate balance would no longer be there as the vallies of Munzur, Mercan and Pülümür turned into lakes. The existing plants and creatures in this vallies can no longer survive. Let alone for the already displaced people to return to their villages, nearly people of a hundred more villages will be forced to migrate. Thus newly started returning-back process will be interrapted. None of the species have been observed in this vallies can manage to survive when the very basis of the life in Dersim, i.e the water and mountain, are harmed or degenerated.
Dersim has no industry. Business and service sectors are yet in progress. The basic economic activity is agriculture (farming, animal husbandry and beekeeping). The province has its greatest potential in the fields of animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism, especially water- and mountain-related tourism. To overcome the underdevelopment one must at first invest in these sectors, make use of whatever the nature offers while protecting the nature as it is, even making it untouchable. This is the way that devolepment can be achieved. Besides, this certainly costs far less than the dam project. One must also remember that dams and powerplants have a very limited life whereas animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism are constant activities.
In short, the state is mistaken.
The dam project is not what the province needs.
The decision of the Turkish State is a violation:
*of the article 63 of Turkish Constitution
*of the code of Nature and Environment
*of the UNESCO`s convention on the protection of the World`s cultural and natural heritage which is signed by Turkey too
*of the environmental criteria of the European Union, to which Turkey wants to join in.
During the archaeological researches in the Keban Dam region archaeologist Mr Kilic Kökten founded many sites that believed to have been related to the palaeolithic age. Many other evidences point to the archaeological importance of the region of Dersim (Tunceli). In spite of this no archaeological work has yet been done. The dam project is being implemented without archaeological considerations. This is also a violation of European Agreement on the protection of archaeological heritage.
Of course we are not against the economical development of Turkey or against the use of energy resorurces including water power to produce electricity. We are well aware of the importance of energy for the economy.
This is not the point.
The point is that, the amount of energy that Turkish state aims to provide from the eight dams altogether is 362 MW per year, which is only 09.7 % of the Turkey`s annual energy if the amount for 2000 taken as national average . This amount of energy does not worth to destroy the nature and historical inheritance of the province. Sure, we are in favour of economic development. What we are asking is to adopt a model which combines economical growth with the preservation of nature. Nothing against patriotism can be seen in this opinion.

Water and “The Other“ Values in Turkey:
We will either have a country worth to live in tomorrow or we will have Hell on earth
In modern thought economy and ecology can no longer be separated from one another.
Economic activity might harm the nature and pollute the environment. This conditions might even destroy a healthy life. At least make it difficult. Construction work that is supposed to aim development might become a tool of destruction. This is not something that has not been seen. That is why the protection of nature and environment is one of the basic questions of both the day and the century. We will either have a planet worth to live in tomorrow
or we will have Hell!
It depends on the measures to be taken by the international community and on the human responsibility. If the planet turned into hell it would mean the end of the human game with water.
Since water is the issue let`s talk a bit about Turkey`s water:
In the region from Middleasia to Balkans, Turkey has the highest potential in terms of water. Turkey has some economical, social and strategical aims based on water. One can understand the logic of this. Because water has began to become more precious than oil both in the Middle East including Turkey and in the world, which brings Turkey face to face with the great advantages and questions of our century. On international level there is not a water-regime agreed upon by all countries. When taken into consideration together with the tecnological backwardness on the use of water resources and the wrong-deeds of the goverments in their implementations this facts make the water dengerous either.
Following figures shows the importance and great value of water in Turkey:
Rain per year is 501 milliar cubic meter. 186 milliar m³ of this turns into flowing water.
Sweet-water potential including underground water and the water that flows into Turkey from other countries is 205 milliar m³.
The surface and underground water usable for various ends is 110 milliar m³ per year.
The annual water consumption in Turkey is 39 milliar m³. Six milliar of this is supplied by underground water and 26.4 milliar by dams`water. 29 milliar m³ of water is used for irrigation, 5.7 milliar for drinking and other, 4 milyar m³ for industrial purposes.
The one-third of Turkey`s land, i.e. 28.05 million hectare (one hectare is equal to 10.000 square meters), is cultivable. Only 4.8 million of this is irrigated whereas it is possible to bring this figure up to 25.85 million. The water in the dams is used to irrigate 2.5 million ha of the land.
The total established power of Turkey`s rivers is 34.740 MW.
The potential of hydroelectrical energy is 123.040 GWh.
Turkey consumes 110.526 GWh electrical energy as of the end of the year 1999. Only 38.000 Gwh of this, i.e. 34.3 %, supplied by the hydroelectric power stations. 37 power plants are yet to be built. Their total established power is 4.190 MW. They will produce 13.578 GWh energy.
Up to now 1135 dams (195 large, 940 small) had been constructed in Turkey. They are all in operation. The construction of 135 dams, large and small, are still in progress. 94 more dams and 485 power plants are at the stage of planning.
The above figures points to the extreme importance and great value of the water in Turkey. There is a great potential to be dealt with by the state. But the state has only been interested in producing electicity, suppling water for drinking and irrigation whereas there are “other values“, as important as water. By “Other values“ I mean human being, nature, environment and cultural heritage.
In the agreements that signed under the guidance of UNESCO and European Commision, “cultural heritage“ is being defined as below:
“the items or buildings in various fields such as monuments, paintings, caves, sites, etc that have a rare universal value in terms of history, art and science...“
According to these documents “cultural heritage“ is the common memory source of humanity and is “a tool for scientific and historical research“.
The term “archaeological heritage“ doesn`t only cover the work, but findings or data too, which have been facing danger posed by construction works. Destroying these findings means to destroy the data through which we gather more information and knowledge about the past.
We have the right to assume knowledge and the duty to transmit these to the future generations. One cannot acquire or improve a world-historical knowledge if he or she is denied access to it.
We are living in information age. To be able to produce new knowledge the data must be available for everyone. The knowledge cannot be reached if information or data is destroyed. Therefore it is out of the age to harm, damage or pose threat to the cultural heritage. Every construction work that destroys cultural heritage or creates ecological problems by damaging the natural balance is an assault to the freedom of information and knowledge.
This kind of activities prevent and damage the human conscious of living together in a peaceful manner, threaten the basic rights which are under the protection of international community.
We have the right to ask protection for these basic rights from the indivudual states or international community. This is a legitimate demand whatever the conditions are.
In Turkey the code for the protection of cultural and natural substance accepted for the first time in 1983, 60 years after the establishment of the Turkish Republic. This is called “the Law for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Substance“. Some other laws in this respect were adopted during the later years.
From 1957 to 2000, Turkey has signed up the following agreements, treates, conventions or protocols:
*The Paris Convention (European Cultural Agreement)
*The Barcelona Convention (for the Protection of Meditarrian Sea Agains Pollution)
*The Granada Convention (Convention For the Protection of World`s Cultural and Natural Heritage)
*The Bern Convention (European Convention For the Protection of Wild Life and Living Environment)
*Vienna Convention, Montreal and London Protocols
*The Ramsar Convention
*The Basel Convention
*The Malta/Valetta Convention (European Convention For the Protection of Archaeological Heritage)
*The environmental agency Convention of Europian Union.
Although Turkey has signed the international conventions mentioned above and a number of other protocols, there has always been problems in their implementations.
As a result:
*Turkey has lost the vallies of Euphrates civilisation together with its sites, agricultural fields and species, as a consequence of the dams and power plant constructions from Keban to Kargamis
*If the current dam and power plant projects implemented many other historical population centres and vallies, such as those of Tigris, Firtina, Munzur, Coruh, Zap, Cine-Marsias, Bergama-Alionai and others would be lost either.
In short Turkey has to learn to develope without destroying the cultural heritage. Otherwise Turkey won`t be a land worth to live in.

°DO NOT TOUCH THE RIVER MUNZUR!

°DO NOT LET THE FOREST BE DESTROYED BY THE DAMS!

°DO NOT LET THE DAMS DESTROY THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS!

°DO NOT LET THE DAMS DESTROY OUR VALLEYS

°DO NOT LET THE DAMS DESTROY TOURISM AND AGRECULTURE

°DO NOT LET THE DAMS DESTROY OUR HISTORY!

°DO NOT LET THE DAMS EXILE HUMAN BEING!

°DO NOT TOUCH MY MUNZUR!

To the Turkish Embassy
(To be forwarded to the Tenth Department of Danistay, the Turkish Supreme Court)

File Number: 2002/2180E

The applicants:

1. Murat Cano
2. Selman Yesilgöz
3. Hayal Hanoglu
4. Hasan Sen
5. Imam Bazan
6. Ibrahim Karakaya
7. Ali Riza Aydin

The accused:
1.Prime Minister of Turkish Republic (Ankara)
2.Turkey`s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (Ankara)

The demand:
We demand permission to be present at the trial regarding the stopage of the dam and power plant project over River Munzur, alongside the applicants
1. The Munzur project is damaging the public interest
2. The verdict will be effecting us too
3. On the basis of the right arising out of citizenship law and in order to protect the public interest we demand permission to join the applicants in defense of the case

To The Prime Minister of Turkey
ANKARA

The applicants:

1. Murat Cano
Taksim Istiklal Cad., Meselik Sk.
No: 36, K: 3, D: 8
80060
Beyoglu/Istanbul

2. Hayal Hanoglu
(At th same address)

3. Selman Yesilgöz
(the same adress)

4. Hasan Sen
(The same adress)

5. Imam Bazan
(the same adress)

6. Ibrahim Karakaya
(the same adress)

7. Feride Lacin
(the same adress)

8. Ali Riza Aydin
(the same adress)

Demand:
We demand the project which envisages the construction of eight dams (Mercan, Akyayik, Konaktepe 1-2, Kaletepe, Bozkaya and Pülümür) over the River Munzur including hydroelectric power plants to be stopped.
According to the offical figures if this project is realised it would produce 362 MW energy per year which is % 09.7 of the total .
In no sense there can be a public interest in this project perhaps with the exception of the Uzuncayir Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant.
Simple because:
a) The “water“ and “mountain“ are the economic basis of life in Dersim.
b) Dersim has no industry. Business and service sectors are yet in progress. The basic economic activity is agriculture (farming, animal husbandry and beekeeping). The province has its greatest potential in the fields of animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism, especially water- and mountain-related tourism. To overcome the underdevelopment one must at first invest in these sectors, make use of whatever the nature offers while preserving the nature as it is, even making it untouchable. This is the way that devolepment can be achieved. Besides, this certainly costs far less than the dam project. One must also remember that dams and powerplants have a very limited life whereas animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism are constant activities.
c) Let alone for the already displaced people to return to their villiges, nearly people of a hundred more villages will be forced to migrate if this project implemented. Thus newly started returning-back process will be interrapted.
d) The Munzur valley was declared as National Park in 1971 and has been remained so up until recent years while this project emerged.
In short, the state is mistaken.
The dam project is not what the province needs.
The decision of the Turkish State is a violation:
*of the article 63 of Turkish Constitution
*of the code of Nature and Environment
*of the UNESCO`s convention on the protection of the World`s cultural and natural heritage which is signed by Turkey too
*of the environmental criteria of the European Union, to which Turkey wants to join in.
Finally during the archaeological researches in the Keban Dam region archaeologist Mr Kilic Kökten founded many sites that believed to have been related to the palaeolithic age. Many other evidences point to the archaeological importance of the region of Dersim (Tunceli). In spite of this no archaeological work has yet been done. The dam project is being implemented without archaeological considerations. This is also a violation of European Agreement on the protection of archaeological heritage.
Of course we are not against the economical development of Turkey or against the use of energy resorurces including water power to produce electricity. We are well aware of the importance of energy for the economy.
This is not the point.
The point is that, the amount of energy that Turkish state aims to provide from the eight dams altogether is 362 MW per year, which is only 09.7 % of the Turkey`s annual energy if the amount for 2000 taken as national average . This amount of energy does not worth to destroy the nature and historical inheritance of the province. Sure, we are in favour of economic development. What we are asking is to adopt a model which combines economical growth with the preservation of nature. Nothing against patriotism can be seen in this opinion.
As a result of the facts mentioned above:
We demand the project which envisages the construction of eight dams (Mercan, Akyayik, Konaktepe 1-2, Kaletepe, Bozkaya and Pülümür) on the River Munzur including hydroelectric power plants to be stopped.

Yours faitfully

Murat Cano

Hayal Hanoglu

Selman Yesilgöz

Hasan Sen

Imam Bazan

Ibrahim Karakaya

Feride Lacin

Ali Riza Aydin

Can You Sleep Well While Munzur Is Under Threat?
I hope everyone has already heard by now of Turkish project which envisages the construction of eight dams on the River Munzur including Hydroelectric Power Plants. Of them, those of Uzuncayir and Mercan are about to be completed. Konaktepe 1 and 2 were awarded to a Turkish & American Company by the Turkish State Water Work (DSI). Machines are going to enter the valley in the days ahead.
Do you know how big the lake of the Konaktepe Dam would be?
450hm cubic.
This is 1/7 of the province`s annual water potential.
Can you realise what it means for the valley and its environment?
Many places, first of all the Ovacik region, would be flooded.
Do the people of Ovacik know all of this?
If not, where are you then?
Why don`t you go and explain to them the danger they are about to witness?
If people are not aware of the danger posed by this project how could they take a right stand?
In case they are on the wrong side, would it be their fault?
Or are you going to give up opposing the project if people say “Yes“?
Politicians have been trying hard to talk about the so-called advantages of the dams. Their rich friends are everywhere to make use of this opportunity in order to become richer. Nowadays they are in the town of Ovacik. Tomorrow they are going to be there too.
What about you?
Here is another news for you:
When the ongoing project of eight dams is completed almost the whole hydroelectric producing potential of Tunceli (Dersim), which is 1571 GWh per year, would be controlled by the state. There is already another plan for the rest of it. Eventually the whole water reserve of the province would be held in the dams.
Some people might think that the state doesn´t do wrong.
In this case I believe that the state is mistaken.
Let alone other topics, I have to say that there is not a state strategy on water and energy in Turkey. The reality is that many of the so-called development projects implemented by the state destroyed or seriously harmed the country`s water resources, natural beings and archaeological heritage.
As if the harm done is not bad enough now it is the turn of the vallies of Munzur, Coruh, Cine, Zap, Firtina and Tigris to be harmed.
How much longer shall we keep harming and destroying?
I`m afraid this would go on until everything is finished.
What happens afterwards?
What`s the use of the dams, power plants, factories, if there no longer be a country that one can live in? Or could we live with them alone?
It is time to realise that our very advantage could turn into a strategical threat for us if we go on to play with water in this way.
It is obvious that man needs energy for living and improvement. This will be the case for ever. But this can be done without harming and destroying environment. The protection of the environment is one of the greatest problem of 21st century.
The “environmental economy“ and “environmental values“ have not been taken into account in the Munzur Project.
Neither Turkey nor the world is aware of the immidiate danger posed by the dam project to the people of Dersim (Tunceli). This project will destroy the region`s environment and ecology, displace its people. This is the immidiate danger that I am talking about.
Today the stand against this danger is a dividing line.
I believe the human life to be the highest value. That`s why I feel we are responsable to the land that have given life to us.

The Dam Project Will Destroy The Nature and Force The People Into Exile ( The Speech by Murat Cano on “the Question of Dams and Environment“ given at the 2nd Cultural and Natural Festival of Munzur on July 29, 2001)
The title sums up the essence of the question.
Perhaps this should have been told at the end. Instead I am saying this at the beginning.
Because the Dersimis (“people of Tunceli“) would either have a country to live in or a hell.
A threat of this kind can be fully realised only if the all dimensions are properly seen.
To overcome the threat is possible only if the very existence and seriousness of it is understood.
We received a written answer from Turkey`s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources dated May 21st, 2001, accoding to which the construction of the Konaktepe Dams 1 and 2 have already been awarded to a Turkish-American Company by decision of the Turkish Goverment. So, it is obvious that the Turkish state is determined to implement the project. The involvment of the United States in this project creates another difficulty for us to achieve our aim.
The total established power of the hydroelectric power plants within the Munzur Project is 37.079 MW. According to the figures given by DSI, the Turkish State Water Work, the whole established power of Turkey`s hydroelectric power plants in operation in the year 2000 is 358.45 MW. The energy aimed to be produced by The Munzur Project is %0.9 (nine in thousand) of the Turkey`s total. This small amount does not worth to destroy the nature and displace more people. It is a negligible quantity which cannot be the main reason behind the Munzur project.
Here I like to give some information about Turkey`s water potential and Turkey`s play with it:
In the region from Middleasia to Balkans, Turkey has the highest potential in terms of water. Turkey has some economical, social and strategical aims based on water. One can understand the logic of this. Because water has began to become more precious than oil both in the Middle East including Turkey and in the world, which brings Turkey face to face with the great advantages and questions of our century. On international level there is not a water-regime agreed upon by all countries. When taken into consideration together with the tecnological backwardness on the use of water resources and the wrong-deeds of the goverments in their implementations this facts make the water dengerous either.
Following figures shows the importance and great value of water in Turkey:
Rain per year is 501 milliar cubic meter. 186 milliar m³ of this turns into flowing water.
Sweet-water potential including underground water and the water that flows into Turkey from other countries is 205 milliar m³.
The surface and underground water usable for various ends is 110 milliar m³ per year.
The annual water consumption in Turkey is 39 milliar m³. Six milliar of this is supplied by underground water and 26.4 milliar by dams`water. 29 milliar m³ of water is used for irrigation, 5.7 milliar for drinking and other, 4 milyar m³ for industrial purposes.
The one-third of Turkey`s land, i.e. 28.05 million hectare (one hectare is equal to 10.000 square meters), is cultivable. Only 4.8 million of this is irrigated whereas it is possible to bring this figure up to 25.85 million. The water in the dams is used to irrigate 2.5 million ha of the land.
The total established power of Turkey`s rivers is 34.740 MW.
The potential of hydroelectrical energy is 123.040 GWh.
Turkey consumes 110.526 GWh electrical energy as of the end of the year 1999. Only 38.000 Gwh of this, i.e. 34.3 %, supplied by the hydroelectric power stations. 37 power plants are yet to be built. Their total established power is 4.190 MW. They will produce 13.578 GWh energy.
Up to now 1135 dams (195 large, 940 small) had been constructed in Turkey. They are all in operation. The construction of 135 dams, large and small, are still in progress. 94 more dams and 485 power plants are at the stage of planning.
The above figures points to the extreme importance and great value of the water in Turkey. There is a great potential to be dealt with by the state. But the state has only been interested in producing electicity, suppling water for drinking and irrigation whereas there are “other values“, as important as water. By “Other values“ I mean human being, nature, environment and cultural heritage.
In modern thought economy and ecology can no longer be separated from one another.
Economic activity might harm the nature and pollute the environment. This conditions might even destroy a healthy life. At least make it difficult. The construction work that is supposed to aim development might become a tool of destruction. This is not something that has not been seen. That is why the protection of nature and environment is one of the basic questions of both the day and the century.
It is necessary to adopt a model which combines development with the protection of nature and enviroment.
Since I`m here today to talk on “The Question of the dams and environment“ which is one of the main issue of the Festival`s programm, I have to explain in detail what the consequences of the Munzur Project would be if implemented:
*The climate would change (for more information about this subject see the report on climate given by Mikdat Kadioglu, of The Tecnic University of Istanbul)
*The Munzur`s rich flora (all the existing plants in the valley) would be destroyed
According to the scientific researches some of the existing plants in this valley are:
Erysimum, Graellsia, Hymenophysa, Didymophysa, Delphinium, Astargalus, Pistacia, Heliotropium, Verbascum, Echinops and fabaceae, asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Poaceae and asrtagalus, trifolium, Alyssum, Silene and Vicia and many other plants.
*The forest would be damaged
*The fauna, i.e all the animals living in the valley, would be destroyed.
Some of them are: Mastacembelus simack, Salmo trutta, Salmo trutta macrostigma, Cypripus carpio, Acanthobrama mirabilis, Alburnoides, Garra rufa and many others.
*The existing archaeological heritage which is not yet known would be destroyed
The Valley of Munzur had been named as a National Park and seen as such for decades by the state itself.
Archaeological data are considered in literatur as part of cultural heritage
In the agreements that signed under the guidance of UNESCO and European Commision, “cultural heritage“ is being defined as below:
“the items or buildings in various fields such as monuments, paintings, caves, sites, etc that have a rare universal value in terms of history, art and science...“
According to these documents “cultural heritage“ is the common memory source of humanity and is “a tool for scientific and historical research“.
The term “archaeological heritage“ doesn`t only cover the work, but findings or data too, which have been facing danger posed by construction works. Destroying these findings means to destroy the data through which we gather more information and knowledge about the past.
We have the right to assume knowledge and the duty to transmit these to the future generations. One cannot acquire or improve a world-historical knowledge if he or she is denied access to it.
We are living in information age. To be able to produce new knowledge the data must be available for everyone. The knowledge cannot be reached if information or data is destroyed. Therefore it is out of the age to harm, damage or pose threat to the cultural heritage. Every construction work that destroys cultural heritage or creates ecological problems by damaging the natural balance is an assault to the freedom of information and knowledge.
This kind of activities prevent and damage the human conscious of living together in a peaceful manner, threaten the basic rights which are under the protection of international community.
We have the right to ask protection for these basic rights from the indivudual states or international community. This is a legitimate demand whatever the conditions are.
In Turkey the code for the protection of cultural and natural substance accepted for the first time in 1983, 60 years after the establishment of the Turkish Republic. This is called “the Law for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Substance“. Some other laws in this respect were adopted during the later years.
From 1957 to 2000, Turkey has signed up the following agreements, treates, conventions or protocols:
*The Paris Convention (European Cultural Agreement)
*The Barcelona Convention (for the Protection of Meditarrian Sea Agains Pollution)
*The Granada Convention (Convention For the Protection of World`s Cultural and Natural Heritage)
*The Bern Convention (European Convention For the Protection of Wild Life and Living Environment)
*Vienna Convention, Montreal and London Protocols
*The Ramsar Convention
*The Basel Convention
*The Malta/Valetta Convention (European Convention For the Protection of Archaeological Heritage)
*The environmental agency Convention of Europian Union.
Although Turkey has signed the international conventions mentioned above and a number of other protocols, there has always been problems in their implementations.
As a result:
*Turkey has lost the vallies of Euphrates civilisation together with its sites, agricultural fields and species, as a consequence of the dams and power plant constructions from Keban to Kargamis
*If the current dam and power plant projects implemented many other historical population centres and vallies, such as those of Tigris, Firtina, Munzur, Coruh, Zap, Cine-Marsias, Bergama-Alionai and others would be lost either.
In short Turkey has to learn to develope without destroying the cultural heritage. Otherwise Turkey won`t be a land worth to live in.
There is not a public interest in implementation of the Munzur Project.
Simple because:
a) The “water“ and “mountain“ are the economic basis of life in Dersim.
b) Dersim has no industry. Business and service sectors are yet in progress. The basic economic activity is agriculture (farming, animal husbandry and beekeeping). The province has its greatest potential in the fields of animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism, especially water- and mountain-related tourism. To overcome the underdevelopment one must at first invest in these sectors, make use of whatever the nature offers while preserving the nature as it is, even making it untouchable. This is the way that devolepment can be achieved. Besides, this certainly costs far less than the dam project. One must also remember that dams and powerplants have a very limited life whereas animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism are constant activities.
c) Let alone for the already displaced people to return to their villiges, nearly people of a hundred more villages will be forced to migrate if this project implemented. Thus newly started returning-back process will be interrapted.
d) The Munzur valley was declared as National Park in 1971 and has been remained so up until recent years while this project emerged.
In short, the state is mistaken.
The dam project is not what the province needs.
The decision of the Turkish State is a violation:
*of the article 63 of Turkish Constitution
*of the code of Nature and Environment
*of the UNESCO`s convention on the protection of the World`s cultural and natural heritage which is signed by Turkey too
*of the environmental criteria of the European Union, to which Turkey wants to join in.
Finally during the archaeological researches in the Keban Dam region archaeologist Mr Kilic Kökten founded many sites that believed to have been related to the palaeolithic age. Many other evidences point to the archaeological importance of the region of Dersim (Tunceli). In spite of this no archaeological work has yet been done. The dam project is being implemented without archaeological considerations. This is also a violation of European Agreement on the protection of archaeological heritage.
Dear people of Dersim,
We are not against the economical development of Turkey or against the use of energy resorurces including water power to produce electricity. We are well aware of the importance of energy for the economy.
This is not the point.
The point is that, the amount of energy that Turkish state aims to provide from the eight dams altogether is 362 MW per year, which is only 09.7 % of the Turkey`s annual energy if the amount for 2000 taken as national average. This amount of energy does not worth to destroy the nature and historical inheritance of the province.
Sure, we are in favour of economic development. What we are asking is to adopt a model which combines economical growth with the preservation of nature. Nothing against patriotism can be seen in this opinion.

I call upon you to oppose this project by using your legitimate rights both in Turkey and abroad. To overcome this threat you have to get united. Let`s not be decieved by a few opportunists, whose only intention is nothing else than to get richer. Only a few of you can get a job in this occasion. It would a temprory job and won`t worth what you are losing.
Let`s get united against this immidiate threat.

To The Chair of The Administrative Court In Istanbul
(To be forwerded to the Danistay, The Turkish High Court)

The Applicants:

1-Murat Cano
Taksim Istiklal Cad., Meselik Sk.
No: 36, K: 3, D: 8
80060
Beyoglu/Istanbul

2-Hayal Hanoglu
(At th same address)

3-Selman Yesilgöz
(the same adress)

4-Hasan Sen
(The same adress)

5-Imam Bazan
(the same adress)

6-Ibrahim Karakaya
(the same adress)

7-Ali Riza Aydin
(the same adress)

The accused:
Prime Ministry, Ankara

The Subject:
In the light of the presented facts:
a) to stop the project which envisages the construction of eight dams (Mercan, Akyayik, Konaktepe 1-2, Kaletepe, Bozkaya and Pülümür) on the River Munzur including hydroelectric power plants;
b) the withdrawal of the Prime Ministry`s rejection dated 05.02.2001 (registration number: 5237) and of the Goverment decision dated 10.09.1998 (Numbered: 98/11634) including the agreement awarding the construction work to a Turkish-American company based on the Goverment decision mentioned above.

The facts presented by us:
We do not see any public interest in the implementation of the so-called Munzur Project.
Because:
The implementation of this project would destroy the nature of the province and cause the displacement of its people. The climate would change, all plants and animals would face extinction.
The figures show that the hydroelectric potential of the province which is intented to be used in its totality by this project is nothing more than 1.2 % of the Turkey`s hydroelectric potential in general.
The “water“ and “mountain“ are the economic basis of life in Dersim.
Dersim has no industry. Business and service sectors are yet in progress. The basic economic activity is agriculture (farming, animal husbandry and beekeeping). The province has its greatest potential in the fields of animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism, especially water- and mountain-related tourism. To overcome the underdevelopment one must at first invest in these sectors, make use of whatever the nature offers while preserving the nature as it is, even making it untouchable. This is the way that devolepment can be achieved. Besides, this certainly costs far less than the dam project. One must also remember that dams and powerplants have a very limited life whereas animal husbandry, beekeeping and tourism are constant activities.
Let alone for the already displaced people to return to their villiges, nearly people of a hundred more villages will be forced to migrate if this project implemented. Thus newly started returning-back process will be interrapted.
The Munzur valley was declared as National Park in 1971 and has been remained so up until recent years while this project emerged.
In short, the dam project is not what the province needs.
The decision of the Turkish State is a violation:
*of the article 63 of Turkish Constitution
*of the code of Nature and Environment
*of the UNESCO`s convention on the protection of the World`s cultural and natural heritage which is accepted at it`s 16th setting on November 16, 1972 and signed by Turkey too
*of the environmental criteria of the European Union, to which Turkey wants to join in.
During the archaeological researches in the Keban Dam region archaeologist Mr Kilic Kökten founded many sites that believed to have been related to the palaeolithic age. Many other evidences point to the archaeological importance of the region of Dersim (Tunceli). In spite of this no archaeological work has yet been done. The dam project is being implemented without archaeological considerations. This is also a violation of European Agreement on the protection of archaeological heritage.
Finally as it is well known the province inhabited by the people of Alevi fate. The province`s rivers, mountains, fountains, springs, vallies and even some of the wild animals of it are sacred in this fate.The Munzur Project, does not take this fact into account.
(....)

30.04.2002

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