Re-Exploration to be Conducted for Hanlı HES Project

The Council of State had ruled to cancel the Hanlı HES Project, which was planned to be built in the Şavşat district of Artvin and would directly affect 28 villages. The local people reacted to the fact that the expert committee would conduct a new survey for the project. Lawyer Halis Yıldırım said the following:

“As you know, we have been involved in lawsuits here since 2018. We won twice in the lawsuits filed by our villagers against the ‘Hanlı HES Project’ that was attempted to be carried out on Arpalı Creek, it was finalized in the Council of State and the HES was stopped. However, for some reason, in all the lawsuits we won, based on a circular from 2009/7 that you all memorized and with the addition of a few documents, it was stated again that ‘EIA is not required’, ‘EIA is positive’… The first lawsuit we entered was also positive and we won. We definitely won the second and the work in the region was stopped.

“They came again”

Now they came with a positive EIA decision again and our people filed a lawsuit and we followed up and now for its discovery, an investigation will be carried out with the court board today at 14:00. Actually, I don’t believe there is anything to be discovered. The investigation has already been done and everything is the same but they are constantly searching for whatever and by having another investigation done, they are wasting our people’s money, as you know the investigation fee was 50 thousand liras. I guess they are working the process in favor of the company with the investigation fee on one hand and by encouraging the people to be unlawful on the other.

“Şavşat needs the water of the Hanlı stream first and foremost”

What I will say is this; while this stream is especially non-existent in the winter, with the population coming in the summer, even Şavşat needs water. Cooperatives are being established in our region. Şavşat needs the water of Hanlı Stream first and foremost. As you know, the stands they say they built very solidly were destroyed by a flood and were rebuilt later. Two things are competing here. Our nerves, our connection with water, are some games and the judiciary is also at fault and the courts have forgotten to stay the execution. Despite our repeated applications, a stay of execution decision has not been given and the work has continued. What I will say as a lawyer is that we are following the legal side closely but the main case is the case of the people of Şavşat. Basically, unless the people support this and give up, they will succeed, I do not believe that. We trust the people of Şavşat and together we will continue the struggle by supporting them as much as we can. I respectfully greet your determined and resistant stance.