rrarrran 10 Decome Miaeast breadbasket for electricity, p, 3 irrigation By Paul Bolding Reuters Staff Writer

BOZOVA—Arid swathes of Eastern Anatolia, thefamous Har- ran plain,could become a Middle Eastern breadbasket, and a fifth of Turkey's electricity needs could begenerated, bya giant now being built across the Euphrates river. Work began five years ago on the Atatiirk Dam, the fifth largest rock-fill barrier in the world, and the first turbine will start turning in 1990, local deputy manager for Turkish State Waterworks, Raif Ozenci. told Reuters. Cost estimates vary, butOzenci said the2,400-megawatt dam, be ingbuilt mainly bya Turkish con sortium, would cost900 billion lira (1.3 billion dollars) at 1986 prices. The dam will create a lake flooding dozens of villages and submerging ancient siteswherear- cheologists are now toiling in sweltering heat to savethreatened relics. The crescent-shaped dam will >e 1,914 meters(1.2 miles) longat :he crest, and its body, with the ;ross-section of a pyramid, will lave a volume of 84.4 million (356 miles) southeast of Ankara, summer for seasonal jobs on cot koman town of Samosata. "We panies Brown 1 ubic meters (110.4 million cubic for the opening of tunnels to divert ton plantations near the town of are doingour bestto rescue the site /ards). Sulzer-Escher-Wyss the river while thedam takesshape Adana, to the west. but there is never enough time," The U.S. Export Only four dams of its kind are above. Concern has grown over poor said DrNimet Ozgiic, head of the supplied a credit of )igger, Ozence said - two in the During the ceremony, Ozal health careand conditions in the team. dollars for Caterpill; Jnited States, one in Argentina noted with pride that Turkish "tent cities" housing the low-paid The main find so far has been graders, and the Swi md one in Pakistan. engineers were building the dam. Adana migrants. a place dating from the first cen "Most dams are built in steep are financing their s Foreign firms carried out previous Some 6,000 workers are now tury B.C.Commagene Kingdom. said. orges, but the geology meant we hydroelectric projects. employed at thedamsite, with the Ozgiic said mosaics and gold tad to work across a broad number expected to rise to 10,000 jewellery from theperiod hadbeen He said it was hoi alley," he said. "But this did f urkish officials do not know in 1988. rescued. long process of filli lean we could start work without precisely how much the dam will ^^Ihelak^w^^mmdj^^6 The dam has caused concernin would start in late 19 iverting the river." boost crop production, but the ^Wageswhcages wholly and 06 partially, neighbouring , which com 300-megawatt turbir At the site, about 120 mam- reservoir, with a surface area of dSflllvlllg 55.UUU >le oi tneir pleted its own Baath Dam on the start up in May 1990 10th trucks, each able to haul 85 maining seven to con 817 square km (315 sq miles), will Euphrates in June. But Ozenci )nnes, work around the clock fer- at four-month interva bea major element ina 30-year ir townsfolk said Damascus was wrong to /ing rock, gravel and other con- rigation project for Southeastern seemed unconcerned. Referring to worry. "The (Atatiirk) Dam will The project will | ruction material, backed up by Anatolia. a new town under construction have no great influence on the billion kilowatt-houi ulldozers and graders. nearby, a local greengrocer said: river." year, or 22 percent < Two 400-meter (yard) tunnels current electricity ne Twin 26-km (16-mile) tunnels "Anyone who wants will get a new The main contractor at Bozova aye^eengbuged through rock so will channel water to an area home. I will get a new shop. We is Ata Construction, Industry and billion kWh a year. /t trucks need not grind up ahill around the town of §anliurfa. are happy." Trading Company, a consortium Thedam's output ' reach the site. Trade unionists hope this will But the dam has forced a race In June, Prime Minister Turgut of three Turkish firms formed for an annual 8.1 billion provide work for some of the against the clock on archaeologists the job. Electrical equipment is be zal travelled to Bozova, 570 km 250,000 people who leave each water is taken from t excavating a mound near the ing supplied by the Swiss com for irrigation scheme ran to become Mideast breadbasket ams s for f'3 HJ.AW< 1 ing liter

-Arid swathes of the famous Har- }ecome a Middle sket, and a fifth ricity needscould a giant dam now ;s the Euphrates ive years ago on , the fifth largest n the world, and will start turning )uty manager for Waterworks, Raif ters. vary, but Ozenci egawatt dam, be- oy a Turkish con- DSt 900 billion lira rs) at 1986prices. 11 create a lake of villages and ;nt sites where ar- now toiling in o save threatened shaped dam will 1.2 miles)long at s body, with the a pyramid, will panies Brown Boveri and summer for seasonal jobs on cot koman town of Samosata. "We of 84.4 million (356 miles) southeast of Ankara, Sulzer-Escher-Wyss. ton plantations near the town of aredoing ourbest to rescue thesite 0.4 million cubic for the opening oftunnels todivert The U.S. Export Import Bank Adana, to the west. but there is never enough time," the river while thedamtakes shape supplied a credit of 113 million Concern has grown over poor said DrNimet Ozgiic, head of the ms of its kind are above. dollars for Caterpillar trucks and health care and conditions in the team. said - two in the During the ceremony, Ozal graders,and the Swiss companies "tent cities" housing the low-paid The main find so far has been one in Argentina noted with pride that Turkish are financing their share, Ozenci Adana migrants. a place dating from the first cen istan. engineers were building the dam. tury B.C.Commagene Kingdom. said. are built in steep Foreign firms carried outprevious Some 6,000 workers are now employed at thedamsite, with the Ozgiic said mosaics and gold He said it was hoped the year neology meant we hydroelectric projects. jewellery from theperiod had been across a broad numberexpectedto riseto 10,000 long process of filling the lake Turkish officials do not know rescued. d. "But this did in 1988. would start in late 1988. The first precisely how much the dam will The dam has caused concern in tart work without The lake will inundate 26 300-megawatt turbine is due to boost crop production, but the villages wholly and 106 partially, neighbouring Syria, which com start upin May 1990 with the re ver." pleted its own Baath Dam on the reservoir, with a surface area of depriving 55,000 people of their maining seven to come on stream about 120 mam- Euphrates in June. But Ozenci ch able to haul 85 817 square km (315 sq miles), will present homes. at four-month intervals thereafter. be a major element in a 30-year ir At Samsat, the townsfolk said Damascus was wrong to The project will generate 8.9 )und the clock fer- worry. "The (Atatiirk) Dam will el and other con- rigation project for Southeastern seemed unconcerned. Referring to billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) a a new town under construction have no great influence on the ial, backed up by Anatolia. year, or 22 percent of Turkey's river." graders. nearby, a local greengrocer said: current electricity needs of 40.4 The main contractor at Bozova ter (yard) tunnels Twin 26-km (16-mile) tunnels "Anyone who wants will get a new billion kWh a year. will channel water to an area home. I will get a new shop. We is Ata Construction, Industry and •d throughrock so Trading Company, a consortium The dam's output will drop to not grind up a hill around the town of S,anhurfa. are happy." But the dam has forced a race of three Turkish firms formed for an annual 8.1 billion kWh when e. Trade unionists hope this will provide work for some of the against theclock on archaeologists the job.Electrical equipment isbe water is taken from the reservoir ne Minister Turgut ing supplied by the Swiss com for irrigation schemes. o Bozova, 570km 250,000 people who leave each excavating a mound near the