On 28th October the Sunday Times published a story reporting on cynical attempts by Tony Blair to use the Ilisu Dam as a bargaining tool to ensure Turkish support.


SUNDAY TIMES

"TONY BLAIR is pushing his ministers to find reasons to approve export credit guarantees for a controversial multi-million-pound dam in Turkey"

"Blair is understood to see the building of the £1.25 billion Ilisu dam as vital for good relations between Turkey and Britain and is dismayed at the way environmental campaigners have dominated the debate about the project"

"Insiders say the prime minister's view has sharpened in recent weeks because of the need to secure Turkey's support for the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Turkey's airbases could become vital if the war against terrorism is expanded to include Iraq, and Blair believes that any future UN peacekeeping force in Afghanistan would be greatly strengthened by Muslim Turkish troops."

(Sunday Times, 28/10/01 Blair in drive for Turkish Dam Deal)


EVENING STANDARD

"...the leaked word is that the Ilisu deal must be done hurriedly to secure Turkish loyalty lest its air bases are needed for air strikes on Iraq. However, since the Turks have shown no wobbliness so far, this smells like an attempt to use the war as a catch-all excuse for getting away with stunts that couldn't be pulled in peace. Mr Blair's messianic rhetoric about creating a new world order takes on an intriguing flavour when juxtaposed with his eagerness to collude in an act of cynical vandalism against the already poor and oppressed. If he is planning to slip this one through while no one is looking, let's hope he is in for a shock"

(Evening Standard 1/11/01 Matthew Norman).

The full reports can be viewed at:

 http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/columnists/top_matthew_norman.html
 http://www.sunday-times.co.uk


See below for details of an Ilisu Dam protest taking place tomorrow in London (sorry about the short notice). Please come along if you can. The Ilisu Dam should not be used as a geostrategic pawn.

Also - see the ilisu.org.uk site for other ways to get involved.


ILISU DAM PROTEST: JOIN THE KURDISH COMMUNITY ON FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER! ORGANISED BY THE FEDERATION OF KURDISH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS IN THE UK TIME: 12 MIDDAY TILL 2PM, FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER PLACE: DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET 'DON'T MAKE TENS OF THOUSANDS HOMELESS' KURDS URGE UK GOVERNMENT IN PROTEST AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL DAM

On Friday, Kurdish protesters will call on the UK government not to make tens of thousands of Kurds in Southeast Turkey homeless. The protesters, many themselves refugees, will hold a demonstration and hand in letters calling on Patricia Hewitt to refuse support for the controversial Ilisu dam project which would displace up to 78,000 people, the majority of them Kurds. Sait Akgul of the Federation of Kurdish Community Associations in the UK said, ³Thousands of Kurds in this country can testify to the devastating impacts of losing their homes, lands and livelihoods.

Given our experience, we are urging the UK government to understand the human costs of support for the Ilisu dam, the many lives which will be shattered and uprooted.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Tel: either Arzu on 0788 78 64 202 or Sait on 0781 556 9692
 Fedbir@yahoo.co.uk or Estella on 0207 2501315