The dam's construction would flood more than 300 sq km of land, displacing over 60,000 people and destroying historical ruins from ancient Mesopotamia. So far Turkey has failed to ensure proper relocation of people, protect cultural heritage, or meet environmental standards.

Turkey has received an Environmental Failure Notice and has 60 days to prove it can implement more than 150 social and environmental prerequisites. If not met, Germany, Austria and Switzerland will oppose credit guarantees.

The Ilisu dam is part of a larger system of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric plants to be completed within the Kurdish region in the next decade. Environmentalists all over the world have been campaigning against this project on the Tigris River.