The construction plans for the dam would lead to the flooding of about 300 square kilometers and would displace up to 78,000 people from the Hasankeyf district of the Batman province.
[1] The main purpose of the dam is the production of hydroelectric power, but it's also supposed to provide better irrigation for local agriculture.
The dam would also lead to the drowning of hundreds of archeological sites, including the ancient town of Hasankeyf.
[2] In November 2001 the campaign won an important victory when it achieved that the UK based company Balfour Beatty decided to withdraw from the Ilısu Dam project due to ethical, environmental and economical concerns.
This time one of the main contractors of the dam was Austria-based VA TECH, a subsidiary of Siemens AG.