Hydroelectricity in Turkey

The first hydroelectric plant in Turkey was constructed in Tarsus, Istanbul in 1911 and opened in 1914 as a result of the Balkan Wars. This plant only produced 60 kW, but nonetheless it alone was able to provide power to all of Istanbul for almost 40 years.[4]

Over the years, more and more hydroelectric projects were constructed, such as the Seyhan Dam, the Sarıyar Dam, the Hirfanlı Dam, the Kesikköprü Dam, the Demirköprü Dam, and the Kemer Dam.

After the State Hydraulic Works (DSI) was established in 1954, projects were better funded and the hydroelectric power produced per year greatly increased.[5]

The most recent project in Turkey is the GAP (short for Southeastern Anatolia Project, Turkish: Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi), the GAP was planned by the DSI, and includes the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants, the cost of which is 100 billion lira (US$32 billion, 2017 adjusted price). Most of the project has been completed, with some dams and hydroelectric power plants still under construction. Theoretically, 27 billion kWh/year will be generated from the project.

There have been both positive and negative environmental effects caused by the dams and hydroelectric power plants. One of the positive effects of hydroelectric power plants has been the decrease of carbon emissions, as the production of hydroelectric energy does not emit any byproduct. Compared to thermal energy, hydroelectric energy is much more environmentally friendly because of emissions. Another positive impact has been the decrease of the importation of energy, since Turkey imports around 90% of its energy.[6]

On the other hand, the hydroelectric power plants have had a negative impact on the local fauna. A large amount of fish are killed in hydroelectric power plants because there are no fish passages, which can be improved. Nevertheless, some species have already gone extinct.

Another issue is salinity of the water. The salinity of the water can cause negative effects on water quality, soil erosion, and plant growth. The salinity caused by dams has decreased the agricultural activity near dams and hydroelectric power plants as well. There has also been a great issue with increased bedrock exposure and erosion.

These projects have also caused an issue of land acquisition and resettlement of people. The Atatürk and Karakaya project of the GAP caused the displacement of 100,000 people. Hundreds of villages have been affected by projects in Turkey to build dams and hydroelectric power plants. Some locals were given land as reparations. On the other hand, some people were admitted back to their own properties after the construction of the dams or power plants, if feasible.[7] However, it cannot be denied that there has been disregard to ancient settlements, such of Assyrian, Greek, Armenian, and many more civilizations, such as the destruction of Hasankeyf.[8]

Hydroelectric power is one of the most common sources of renewable energy in the world and it plays a vital role in Turkey's energy production as well. The theoretical viable hydroelectric potential of the country has been estimated at 433 TWh/year, nearly 1% of the total hydropower potential of the world,[9] and the hydroelectric technical potential of Turkey is 58 TWh/year, also around 1% of the hydroelectric energy produced in the world.[10] This is seen as promising as the estimated demand for electricity in Turkey will be 420 TWh/year by 2020,[11] meaning that if the country utilizes all of its potential hydroelectric power, the supply would surpass demand.

It might be that in coming years the pumped storage power plant market will also grow or start in Turkey[2] as this could store energy produced by wind and solar power plants.

Dams on international rivers, such as the Ilisu Dam, can cause water shortages in downstream countries.[12]

In 2015, the total installed capacity of hydropower in Turkey was 25868 MW, and total generated energy in 2015 from hydropower was 66903.2 GWh.[9]

• Sample guidelines : cumulative environmental impact assessment for hydropower projects in Turkey