Aslandağ Dam
| Aslandağ Dam | |
|---|---|
  Location of Aslandağ Dam in Turkey | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Location | Şemdinli, Hakkâri Province |
| Coordinates | 37°19′28.88″N 44°26′26.83″E / 37.3246889°N 44.4407861°E |
| Purpose | Water supply, military |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 2008 |
| Opening date | 2012 |
| Owner(s) | State Hydraulic Works |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity, roller-compacted concrete |
| Impounds | Bembo River |
| Height | 60 m (197 ft) |
| Length | 209 m (686 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 1,326 m (4,350 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Spillway type | Overflow |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 10,560,000 m3 (8,561 acre⋅ft) |
| Normal elevation | 1,324 m (4,344 ft)[1] |
The Aslandağ Dam is a gravity dam on the Bembo River (an eventual tributary of the Great Zab) in Şemdinli district of Hakkâri Province, southeast Turkey. Under contract from Turkey's State Hydraulic Works, Özdoğan Group began construction on the dam in 2008 and it was complete in 2012.[2][3] In July 2012 suspected Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants set fire to equipment at the construction sites of the Aslandağ Dam and also the Beyyurdu Dam which is located downstream.[4]
The reported purpose of the dam is water storage and it can also support a hydroelectric power station in the future.[2] Another purpose of the dam which has been widely reported in the Turkish press is to reduce the freedom of movement of PKK militants.[citation needed] Blocking and flooding valleys in close proximity to the Iraq–Turkey border is expected to help curb cross-border PKK smuggling and deny caves in which ammunition can be stored.[citation needed] A total of 11 dams along the border; seven in Şırnak Province and four in Hakkâri Province were implemented for this purpose. In Hakkâri are the Gölgeliyamaç (since cancelled) and Çocuktepe Dams on the Güzeldere River and the Aslandağ and Beyyurdu Dams on the Bembo River. In Şırnak there are the Silopi Dam on the Hezil River and the Şırnak, Uludere, Balli, Kavşaktepe, Musatepe and Çetintepe Dams on the Ortasu River.[5][6][7][8]
See also
References
- ^ "Aslandag Dam construction tender". DGMarkets. 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ a b "DSI 10 REGIONAL OFFICE - Van" (in Turkish). State Hydraulic Works. Archived from the original on 23 November 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Beyyurdu-Aslandag Dam" (in Turkish). Ozodgan. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ "The PKK raided the dam sites on" (in Turkish). Radikal. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ "Terror Down" (in Turkish). Posta. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Planned to be completed in the second dam on the border against the PKK" (in Turkish). Hurriyet. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Dams Prevent Smuggling at the Border" (in Turkish). Aktif Haber. 5 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-05-10. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Water retention dams began operation against PKK" (in Turkish). CNNTurk. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
