Ilisu

Ilisu is best known as the Ilisu Dam project, a large hydroelectric dam on the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey, near the historic town of Hasankeyf. The project is part of Turkey’s program to expand hydroelectric generation and to improve water storage for irrigation and flood control as part of the broader Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP). The dam is intended to create a reservoir and to provide substantial electric power generation, with the aim of contributing to regional development and energy security.

The Ilisu project has been controversial since its planning began. Supporters emphasize potential benefits in terms of renewable electricity, irrigation water, and flood management. Critics have raised concerns about the displacement of communities, especially those in and around Hasankeyf, and about the potential loss of archaeological and cultural heritage sites. Environmental and cultural heritage groups have cautioned about long-term ecological changes and the inundation of historic areas. The project has also attracted international attention and scrutiny from UNESCO and other bodies, which highlighted preservation concerns and called for mitigation measures. Financing and governance of the project have involved Turkish state institutions and a range of national and international stakeholders, with periods of debate over timing, scope, and conditions attached to investment.

Today, Ilisu remains a reference point in discussions of dam development in the region, illustrating the tensions between energy and water management goals and the social, cultural, and environmental costs associated with large-scale infrastructure projects.