Country Turkey Status Under construction Height 34 m Construction began 2008 | Purpose Water supply, military Impounds Ortasu River Owner State Hydraulic Works | |
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Location Uludere, Şırnak Province Type of dam Gravity, roller-compacted concrete Construction cost 24.64 million USD (TL38,500,000, Combined cost with Çetintepe Dam) People also search for Balli Dam, Aslandağ Dam, Kavşaktepe Dam, Çetintepe Dam, Silopi Dam, Silvan Dam, Ilısu Dam | ||
The Musatepe Dam is a gravity dam under construction on the Ortasu River (a tributary of the Hezil River) in Uludere district of Şırnak Province, southeast Turkey. Under contract from Turkey's State Hydraulic Works, Ozerka Insaat began construction on the dam in 2008 and a completion date has not been announced.
Map of Musatepe Dam, 73600 Ortaba%C4%9F Buca%C4%9F%C4%B1%2FUludere%2F%C5%9E%C4%B1rnak, Turkey
The reported purpose of the dam is water storage and it can also support a 9 MW hydroelectric power station in the future. Another purpose of the dam which has been widely reported in the Turkish press is to reduce the freedom of movement of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants. 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. A total of 11 dams along the border; seven in Şırnak Province and four in Hakkâri Province were implemented for this purpose. In Şırnak they are the Silopi, Şırnak, Uludere, Balli and Kavşaktepe Dams downstream of the Musatepe Dam and the Çetintepe Dam upstream on the Ortasu River. In Hakkari are the Gölgeliyamaç (since cancelled) and Çocuktepe Dams on the Güzeldere River and the Aslandağ and Beyyurdu Dams on the Bembo River.