6th Sept 2000 : Leaked report reveals major problems with Dam

"This Report clearly indicates that the Turkish government is in no position to fulfil even the basic conditions put forward by the UK government. It provides more than enough evidence for the UK Government to abandon this ill-conceived and destructive project," said Kerim Yildiz, a director of the Ilisu Dam Campaign.

A consortium of international export credit agencies, including the UK's Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGD), commissioned Kudat's review of Turkey's proposed resettlement plan for people affected by the controversial dam.

Kudat's report also says:

• Sweeping institutional reforms within Turkey are needed before "best practice" - as defined by World Bank or OECD guidelines - can be achieved;
• The Turkish Government has failed to consider alternatives to the Ilisu project, which violates both World Bank and OECD guidelines;
• The project was approved before a resettlement plan was drawn up, which flouts both World Bank and OECD guidelines;
• The Turkish authorities have failed to draw up a full socio-economic census, which violates World Bank guidelines;
• There are major gaps in information needed to draw up a resettlement plan to international standards;
• No resettlement budget has been prepared - in violation of World Bank and OECD standards - and, it is suggested, that a paper commitment from Turkey to make the money available cannot be trusted;
• Major economic and political obstacles must be overcome before it can be ensured that affected people will not be worse off than they were before the project, as the World Bank demands;
• The special provision to protect the livelihoods of women has been ignored, in violation of World Bank guidelines;
• Pastoralists will not be compensated for their land loss, in contravention of OECD guidelines.

Although the Report claims that local mayors have been consulted over the project, this is denied by the Mayor of Batman, one of the major towns to which those evicted are likely to move.