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13 Nov 2001
Campaigners responded with delight today to the news that Balfour Beatty have pulled out of involvement in the environmentally, politically and socially disastrous Ilisu Dam.
The Dam was planned for the Kurdish region of Turkey. It would make more than
30,000 local people homeless, often without proper compensation. It
would drown dozens of towns and villages including the world historic
site of Hasankeyf. And it would help control water flows on the Tigris
river, threatening water conflicts with downstream states Syria and
Iraq. The League of Arab States has condemned the project. The Dam was
to be built by an international Swiss-led consortium. Balfour Beatty
were seeking $200 million in export credit guarantees from the British
Government. Italian builder Impregilo has also withdrawn from the consortium.
Commenting, FOE Director Charles Secrett said:
“This is a tremendous win for campaigners against a disastrous dam project. Balfour Beatty's very welcome decision to drop out of the project shows the power of shareholder pressure and publicity campaigns by groups like Friends of the Earth and the Ilisu Dam Campaign.
However, the Government has managed to avoid ever taking a clear decision on this scheme. That means that companies seeking future export credits can argue that no clear ethical precedent has been set. Balfour Beatty have helped Mr Blair slip off the hook.
The story of the Ilisu Dam project shows the need for laws which require British companies to adopt clear ethical and environmental standards in their work abroad as well as at home. Certainly, backing such as export credits should never even be considered in cases which involve such obvious environmental destruction and abuse of human rights.”
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
