As the demolition in the antique town Hasankeyf continues due to the genocidal and rent-seeking policies of the AKP government, construction equipment have started to destroy rocks in the area that was demolished through explosives recently.

With the demolition of human formed rocks through explosives in Hasankeyf, the destruction of this 12.000 years old town at the Tigris River in the Kurdish Southeast of Turkey has entered a new phase. Hasankeyf, more than 300 archaeological sites, 136 km Tigris River stretch and 199 other settlements would be flooded if the construction of the Ilisu Dam – one of the most controversial dams worldwide – would be completed.

The “bringing down of rocks” at the castle rock and its surrounding valleys started some two weeks ago with the official aim to consolidate them for the time after the planned impounding of the dam reservoir and subsequent development of tourism.

After the broad public critic in the last week the governor of Batman province and the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), responsible for the Ilisu Project, said that no explosives have been used and the objective is to protect civilians from falling rocks.

The fact is that for only some rocks no explosives have been used, but locals confirmed that for the most ones it was the case, and that 7 years ago was one rock fall in Hasankeyf, but due to recent human impacts and non taken measures by the ministry for culture.

However, the alleged ‘constituting danger by rocks’ has the real aim to thrive out people and artisans from Hasankeyf nowadays and particularly to have enough debris for the planned antique harbour which would be central for the planned tourism of the rock castle. It is cheaper to bring down material than to transport it from areas far away.